Response to Mr Bowe's letter

In your postcard, you asked David Bowe: "Please let me know if you will do everything you can to ensure that the upcoming European Directive on chemicals properly protects public health by banning the use of bio-accumulating or hormone disrupting in products"

Unfortunately, his letter fails to answer this question. He mentions the UK Chemicals Stakeholder forum - in reality, this body (which Friends of the Earth currently attends) is only able to discuss voluntary measures on risky chemicals - and these measures have to be agreed by industry. Friends of the Earth doesn't view this as an effective way of phasing out risky chemicals.

The most important debate is that happening at a European level, and it is here where David Bowe's actions speak louder than his words. In November 2001 David Bowe led most of the UK Labour MEPs to vote against a ban on the use of bioaccumulating or hormone disrupting chemicals in products. For more details of this vote, and an opportunity to email your MEPs, see our Safer Chemicals Campaign pages and click on Press for Change.

Friends of the Earth agrees with David Bowe that it is vital that animal testing is minimised, and we believe our policies will contribute to this aim. In August 2001 we produced a briefing 'A new EU chemicals policy - some key arguments' with WWF, the European Environment Bureau and Eurogroup for Animal Welfare (the RSPCA's European Umbrella Group) which explains our policies.

Back to Safer Chemicals (Pack 6)

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