Although the French National Strategy on EDCs takes into account the demands expressed by NGOs who participated in the discussions regarding the criteria for EDCs and the exclusion criteria for biocides and pesticides, according to campaign partner Women in Europe for a Common Future France (WECF) the final draft strategy is missing an important point in its proposal as it leaves out banning EDCs in toys. WECF wishes to reinstate this requirement into the text.
In December 2012 during an international conference on EDCs, the Department of Ecology said it wanted to propose a new 'community level' prohibiting the placing on of toys and childcare products possibily containing EDCs on the the EU market. WECF welcomed this annoucement which coincided with its own demands. A petition launched by WECF to stop EDCs in toys collected more than 30,000 signatures before being presented to the French Ministries of Health and Ecology.
Following the work of multi -stakeholder groups to develop the French National Strategy on EDCs, the project was submitted for public consultation from July to September 2013. From the 1056 reviews collected online , 629 confirmed their support for WECF's petition.
EDCs are substances of very high concern that do not belong in children's products. The National Strategy is a unique opportunity for France to have a clear message to its European partners on the removal of EDCs from our daily lives.
Post provided by campaign partner WECF
