Better protecting human health, wildlife, and the environment from harmful chemicals, particularly EDCs through new legislation in the EU
CHEM Trust played a significant role in successfully getting the European Commission to adopt a Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) that specifically includes actions on EDCs. CSS has committed to a range of regulatory measures that have the potential to transform EU chemicals policy. A key commitment is the revision of the REACH Regulation (the EU’s main chemicals law). This is the first time REACH will undergo revision since creation in the mid-2000s, and it is critical that this results in strengthening the law. REACH continues to be the international gold-standard for chemicals regulations, and so any improvements will have a global impact.
The Becht Foundation will continue to support CHEM Trust as it leverages the revision of REACH to create a system that will better manage the most hazardous chemicals, including endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and persistent and mobile chemicals. Such a system must also address the fact that wildlife is exposed to a mixture of many different chemicals at one time and implement the ‘grouping approach’ (addressing chemicals in groups rather than one at a time to speed up bans). CHEM Trust will also work towards getting the Commission to adopt changes to the EU law on classification, labelling and packaging (CLP), which also includes new hazard classes for endocrine disrupters.
