European Parliament must stand by environmental restrictions

Tomorrow, the European Parliament will vote on an objection to the European Commission's proposed criteria for defining endocrine disruptors. The vote comes after the Parliament's Environment Committee backed an objection co-signed by Greens/EFA MEP Bas Eickhout.

The European Commission's criteria seek to introduce a derogation from an existing ban of certain endocrine disruptors for the environment. The European Parliament can veto the proposal if the objection achieves an absolute majority (376 MEPs).

Green environment and health spokesperson Bas Eickhout comments:

"The European Parliament has an opportunity to protect the environment and the rule of law where the European Commission and most Member States have failed.

"It is unacceptable that the Commission tries to lift a ban of certain endocrine disrupters via the backdoor of comitology to further the interests of the pesticides industry. The Commission has a mandate to come up with scientific criteria for endocrine disrupters, but not to undo a ban decided by the legislator.

"Tomorrow, MEPs have an opportunity to halt the Commission from exceeding its powers, insist on the rule of law and maintain existing restrictions."

Background

Back in 2009, during a major revision of pesticides legislation, the co-legislators, upon insistence of the European Parliament, mandated the Commission to adopt scientific criteria for the determination of endocrine-disrupting properties by end of 2013. The draft proposals were not produced until June 2016, and approved by Member States in July 2017.