[Ag-umwelt] Fwd: Fwd: Sweden threatens Commission over inaction on chemicals (Endocrine Disruptors)

[Hanns-Jörg Rohwedder <danebod AT arcor.de>]

-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Fwd: Sweden threatens Commission over inaction on chemicals (Endocrine Disruptors) Date: Mon, 26 May 2014 15:31:33 +0100 From: Charlie Williams <charlie2williams AT gmail.com> To: undisclosed-recipients:;

European Voice

Sweden threatens Commission over inaction on chemicals

The European Commission was supposed to have drawn up criteria for testing suspected endocrine disruptors last year.

by Dave Keating on 23.05.2014 / 11:59 CET

Sweden plans to take legal action against the European Commission over its failure to draw up criteria to identify and ban chemicals that may affect human hormones, the country’s environment minister said. The list was supposed to have been drawn up last year. Environment Minister Lena Ek said that Commission officials failed to provide her with information on their plans by a December 2013 deadline. Her government will take the case to the European Court of Justice, she said. According to an EU source, the file has been held up by the Commission’s health department, which has been lobbied heavily by the cosmetics industry – which would be hit hard by a ban. The industry says that not enough is known about chemicals known as endocrine disruptors to bring in bans. There are uncertainties around what level of these substances is dangerous, the cosmetics industry says. José Manuel Barroso, the president of the Commission, has decided to leave the topic until the next Commission takes office because of the sensitivity and uncertainty around the issue, according to the source. A spokesperson for the Commission said that Sweden’s concerns were raised several months ago but no formal notification of legal action has been received. He added that the issue is dealt with by legislation on plant protection products and biocidal products. “A roadmap defining the different options and the general approach for this impact assessment is in a final stage of agreement,” he said. “Because of this impact assessment, the establishment of the criteria is taking more time than originally planned. However, this is justified because of the complexity of the issue, evolving science, and the diverging views existing among scientists and among stakeholders.” In 2012, the first chemical suspected of having endocrine-disrupting properties was nominated for inclusion on the ‘substances of very high concern’ list of dangerous chemicals facing bans.

 

 

 

From: European Voice [mailto:alerts AT europeanvoice.com]
Sent: 23 May 2014 12:00
To: European Voice Subscribers
Subject: Sweden threatens Commission over inaction on chemicals

 

European Voice Alert

 

 

Sweden threatens Commission over inaction on chemicals

The European Commission was supposed to have drawn up criteria for testing suspected endocrine disruptors last year.
Read More