European Commission replies to EDC-Free Europe coalition’s call to uphold commitments for EU-wide legislative protection against harmful endocrine disruptors

In response to a letter from the EDC-Free Europe coalition with calls to deliver on promises for targeted revisions of the REACH and CLP regulations, two key pillars of EU chemicals legislation, the European Commission stresses its “determination to work towards a toxic-free environment” and outlines the last preparatory steps for the targeted revision of the REACH regulation.

In the letter sent to the European Commission President in October 2022, members of the EDC-Free Europe campaign emphasized that the timely implementation of the REACH and CLP revisions as outlined in the Commission’s Chemical Strategy for Sustainability are fundamental in preventing exposure of people and the environment to harmful endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Any further delay would jeopardize the possibility of having these targeted revisions completed by the end of the current Commission’s mandate, leading to years of prolonged pollution of our health and the environment by endocrine disruptors. 

In its response, the European Commission President stresses that it “keeps working to ensure chemical safety including endocrine disruptors through strict implementation of the current rules, notably in accordance with the restrictions roadmap published in April 2022, and also through the other actions announced in the Chemicals Strategy.” 

The revision of the CLP regulation was launched on 19 December 2022 with the publication of the European Commission proposals, still to be endorsed by the European Parliament and Council. Meanwhile, according to the response received by EDC-Free Europe, the targeted revision of the REACH regulation is still in preparation with the finalisation of an impact assessment and consultation of key stakeholders. 

Click here to read our letter to the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, sent October 2022. 

Click here to read the response from the European Commission Directorate-General for the Environment and the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, received on 12 January 2023.