Endocrine disruptors : the european Parliament rejects the definition

Laurence Geai/SIPA

Published the 04.10.2017 at 16h28

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Keywords :

disruptive endocriniensCommission européenneenvironnement

The definition of endocrine disruptors proposed by the european Commission does not pass. On Wednesday, the meps have used their right of objection to dispute this definition, deemed too lax, too little protective. They are asking the Commission to review its copy, in a resolution supported by the left, the environmentalists and the liberals, and adopted by 389 votes to 235 and 70 abstentions. The vote was tight : an absolute majority of 376 votes is required.

The european Parliament considers that the european Commission has exceeded its implementing powers by freeing themselves of the scientific criteria in the definition of endocrine disrupters. These chemicals, ubiquitous in our environment (pesticides, cosmetics, synthetic materials…) are likely to disrupt the hormonal system.

Disruptors suspected

In 2015, the european Commission had been condemned by the Court of justice of the european Union, at the instigation of Sweden, have still not published the criteria that define these substances as stipulated in a regulation of 2012 on the placing on the market of biocidal products.

This summer, the member States have finally adopted the proposed definition, at a european Council which was held on 4 July. France, long opposed to this definition, eventually to join with the voice of his new minister of Ecology.

The meps deny the fact that Brussels is excluded from its definition disruptive, only “suspected” and those, if true, that target invertebrate organisms.

“Lucidity”

“We look forward to the lucidity of a majority of the meps of the european Parliament who are opposed to this proposal of the european Commission, which is not acceptable in the state, commended the NGO Future Generations in a press release. What the French Government was not able to hear, our european representatives have well understood “.

The Commission must now propose a new definition, which will have to be validated by the member States and then submitted again to the Parliament.