To: The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen
Cc: First Vice-President, Frans Timmermans; Commissioners Thierry Breton, Virginijus Sinkevicius, Stella Kyriakides
Science shows urgent need to reduce exposure to harmful endocrine disruptors: revision of REACH is required by June 2023
On behalf of the undersigned organisations, representing the European and international endocrine research and clinical community, we are writing to urge you to deliver on the public health priorities in the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability by advancing a long overdue proposal to update the regulation on the Restriction, Evaluation, and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) as soon as possible, and no later than June 2023. Our community is united in our view that minimising exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) must be a top priority for the Commission in its current term. These chemicals, which include bisphenols, phthalates, and PFAS, among other chemicals in commerce, are pervasive and linked to serious adverse effects on endocrine systems, leading to diseases such as infertility, diabetes, cancer, and altered neurological development. Health impacts from EDC exposures are widespread and cause suffering throughout the European Union. Moreover, individuals such as pregnant women and children are uniquely susceptible to the effects of endocrine disruption, meaning that action now can prevent harm to current and future generations.
