Today - Wednesday December 16 - the European Court of Justice has ruled that the European Commission breached EU law in the way it has managed the issue of endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs).
The Court found that the EU Commission failed to adopt criteria for testing endocrine disruptors, contrary to EU legal provisions setting strict deadlines for protecting health.
In June 2014, Sweden decided to take legal action against the Commission, and was supported by the European Parliament and several Member States.
Esther Lynch, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Confederal Secretary said "The ETUC welcomes the ruling of the ECJ. It considers that the delay game must stop. The European Commission has to respect EU law and adopt criteria for testing based on the intrinsic hazard of endocrine disruptors chemicals. EDCs should be regulated as chemicals of very high concern, to protect consumers and workers."
The ruling is also important because it states that the European Commission using the need to carry out an impact analysis as an excuse not to take action is unacceptable.
EDC are chemicals which interfere with the hormonal system of human beings. They cause breast, prostate and thyroid cancers. They are associated with the development of learning disabilities, severe attention deficit disorder, cognitive and brain development problems and other health problems. Millions of workers in Europe are affected by endocrine disruptors in different economic sectors including agriculture, food and plastics industry, and cleaning and health services.
