Press release
22 December 2009
Ministry of the Environment
Environment Council strengthens work against effects of chemical cocktails
Today EU environment ministers called on the European Commission to strengthen its work on managing the risks posed by combination effects of chemicals. EU legislation needs to take combination effects into account.
"Chemicals that we surround ourselves with every day can be dangerous to public health in combination. Evaluating the risks posed by individual chemicals on their own is not enough. Now we are strengthening the work being done and call on the Commission to adapt the legislation to take combination effects into account," says Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren.
Today the Environment Council has adopted Council conclusions tasking the Commission with producing a recommendation in 2010 on how exposure to combinations of endocrine disruptors should be dealt with in existing legislation. The conclusions also instruct the Commission to evaluate in 2011 the extent to which existing legislation is adequate to manage risks resulting from exposure, and to consider appropriate amendments.
"To protect our health and environment, account needs to be taken of how chemicals interact with one another. Work on adapting the EU legislation needs to be undertaken promptly, beginning next year," says Mr Carlgren.
Contact
Lennart BodénPress Secretary to Andreas Carlgren
