On December 17-18, the European Commission hosted the second annual forum on endocrine disruptors.
The annual forum was established following the Nov. 7, 2018 Commission Communication “Towards a Comprehensive European Union (EU) Framework on Endocrine Disruptors.” The forum brings together scientists, policy makers, and public and private stakeholders with expertise on endocrine disruptors to exchange information and best practices, identify challenges, and build synergies to inform the Commission’s work on EDCs.
The 2020 forum took place online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but attendees were still able to hear expert speakers and participate in question-and-answer sessions to hear new information about the EU’s approach to EDCs. Speakers gave updates from relevant EU agencies and representatives from OECD, academic institutions, and regulatory agencies described new advances in test methods. Josef Köhrle, a member of the Society’s EU EDC Task Force, participated in a closing panel discussion with stakeholders from a variety of interests including non-governmental organizations and representatives from the plastics and chemicals industry.
The forum was also an opportunity to learn more about the Commission’s plans for the coming year. As we approach the new year, there are already several open consultations that will require expert input from Endocrine Society members. The European Food Safety Agency recently released a consultation on a draft Scientific Committee Opinion on the biological plausibility of nonmonotonic dose responses and their impact on the risk assessment. Meanwhile, The European Commission initiated a consultation on draft regulations to amend the REACH authorization list to include endocrine disrupting properties for several phthalates due to their ability to interfere with hormonal systems.
The Endocrine Society will work with our EU Task Force to respond to these important consultations to ensure that they reflect the latest science on endocrine disruption.
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