Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals — A Strategy of the European Commission

Summary

In the context of the Community’s responsibility for the environment and human health, potential problems related to chemical substances that, through endocrine disrupting mechanisms, pose a risk to the health of humans and wildlife have been addressed by the European Commission. Notified by public concern, called upon by the European Parliament, having received advice from the Commission's Scientific Committee on Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment, and having consulted other stakeholders, the Commission has drafted a strategy paper, which is to be communicated to Council and Parliament. In its conclusion it proposes a series of measures that are aimed at assessing and managing potential risks related to substances that undergo endocrine disrupting mechanisms. In the short-term (1–2 years), the emphasis is being put on further internationally co-ordinated research. To this effect a list of chemical substances will be established for the further study of their role in the endocrine system. In addition, a monitoring programme will be established. Existing legislation could be applied to those substances that have been identified as posing an unacceptable risk because of their endocrine disrupting mechanisms. Medium term measures (2–4 years) will include the decelopment of test methods fot chemicals, research on the ED mechanism (within the 5th Framework Programme of Community Research), and by aoolying the precautionary principle. This shold br linked with voluntary measures by industry to substitute chemicals that are highly suspected of having detrimental effects on humans and wildlife due to their endocrine modulating properties. Long term measures (3–6 years) will focus on the appropriate adaptation of legislative instruments to restrict or ban the use of substances that have been shown to be endocrine disrupters.