Archived press release

Eu citizens demand protection from chemicals

8 July 2003

A coalition of Europe's largest environmental groups representing millions of members - European Environmental Bureau, European Public Health Alliance, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Women in Europe for a Common Future, and WWF - will today call on the European Commission to respond to public demand for a toxic free future when they hand in a petition signed by more than 16,000 people world-wide.

The coalition will submit their Declaration for a Toxics Free Future to the Commission to protect their health and the environment from hazardous chemicals. The Declaration is also backed by a number of organisations across Europe including the National Childbirth Trust, Marine Conservation Society, and BEUC - the European Consumers' Organisation.

Representatives from the coalition, including Friends of the Earth's safer chemicals mascot Toxic Ted, will present the Declaration to Commissioner Margot Wallstrom at 12.15pm in Brussels (11.15am London time), as part of the current consultation on the draft legislation, due to end on 10^th July.

The widespread contamination of people and wildlife with man-made chemicals is well documented. Some 300 man-made chemicals are known to contaminate human bodies; and many man-made chemicals have also been found in house dust and rainwater.

A recent report by eminent UK scientists [1] confirmed the need for a fundamental reform of chemicals policy, with one of its authors stating "Given our understanding of the way chemicals interact with the environment, you could say we are running a gigantic experiment with humans and all other living things as the subject". This report also endorsed the importance of substituting the worst chemicals with safer alternatives.

The Declaration put forward by the coalition asks the European Commission to ensure that its new REACH legislation on chemicals includes:

an obligation to phase out and substitute chemicals that accumulate in wildlife, humans or the environment, and those that disrupt hormones. Restricted uses of such chemicals should only be permitted temporarily, if safer alternatives are not available, and the use is essential to society;

• a full right to know, for both consumers and businesses, including what chemicals are present in products;

• a requirement that products imported into the EU have to conform to the same safety standards as those made in the EU.

More than 10,000 US citizens and more than 60 organisations in the US (including the Communications Workers of America and The Breast Cancer Fund) have already submitted a separate declaration supporting the REACH legislation. The European Environmental Bureau, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and WWF will also be making a more detailed joint submission to the Commission's consultation.

Friends of the Earth's chemicals campaigner Mary Taylor said:

"This declaration clearly shows the level of public concern about dangerous chemicals in products we all use every day. The European Commission must respond to these concerns and ensure that such chemicals are phased out, and replaced with safer alternatives. And they must also force companies to provide information so that people can find out what chemicals are being used."

Notes

1. "Chemicals in products. Safeguarding human health and the Environment", UK Royal Commission on Environment and Pollution, June 2003. www.rcep.org.uk/chemicals.html

Web sites

WWF UK's Chemicals and Health campaign: www.wwf.org.uk/chemicals/

EEB Chemicals web site: www.eeb.org/activities/chemicals/

Friends of the Earth's Safer Chemicals Campaign: www.foe.co.uk/safer_chemicals

Greenpeace Chemicals Campaign and "Consuming Chemicals", a report on hazardous chemicals in house dust www.greenpeace.org/chemicals

WWF's EU chemicals web site (includes introductory briefing): www.panda.org/epo/toxics

EEB, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace coalition multi lingual website on the legislation www.chemicalreaction.org/

European Public Health Alliance www.epha.org/

Women in Europe for a common future www.antenna.nl/wecf/WECF.html

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust