The Endocrine Society achieved a major victory in the new European Union (EU) Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) by including several priority actions on endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) within the strategy.
The CSS commits the EU towards a series of actions to better protect citizens and the environment and promote innovation in safe and sustainable chemicals. As attention turns to implementation of the strategy, we are continuing to engage with regulators and policy makers to ensure that regulatory changes are swift and effective.
In April, the European Commission selected the Society for one of 32 seats on a “high-level roundtable on the implementation of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability.” The roundtable was established to advise the Commission on realizing the strategy’s objectives through an ongoing dialogue, and our selection to participate in this important roundtable reflects our role as a trusted advisor to EU policy makers.
The Society’s engagement with EU policy makers reflects our members’ important role in ensuring that chemical assessments are science-based and incorporate the latest knowledge about chemical interference with endocrine systems.
On May 5, the Commission conducted the first meeting of the roundtable where Barbara Demeneix, chair of the Society’s EDC Advisory Group, delivered remarks during the introductory session about the need to act quickly to minimize exposure to EDCs and protect human health. We also submitted a written statement outlining our priority objectives for the roundtable, including faster and more effective identification processes for EDCs, removal of identified EDCs from consumer products, and strengthening data requirements for EDCs through updated testing and screening methods.
In parallel to the discussions taking place at the roundtable, the Commission is also pursuing revisions to existing legislation to align regulations with the objectives of the CSS. On the same day as the roundtable meeting, the Commission published two “roadmaps” on the revision of the Regulation on Classification, Labeling, and Packaging (CLP), and on the revision of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). Guided by our EU EDC Task Force, the Society submitted public comments in response to the roadmaps where we supported the inclusion of a special hazard class for EDCs, argued for improved data requirements for hazard assessments of EDCs and mixture assessment factors, and called for extending the generic risk approach to EDCs.
The Society’s engagement with EU policy makers reflects our members’ important role in ensuring that chemical assessments are science-based and incorporate the latest knowledge about chemical interference with endocrine systems. We look forward to continuing the discussion with other members of the roundtable and helping the Commission achieve the ambitious goals described in the CSS.
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