Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: turning political deadlock into an opportunity for human health protection and innovation

摘要

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have regularly made the headlines over the last few months, often accompanied by the tag ‘emerging issue’. Yet these chemicals and the challenges they pose in terms of identification and regulation in the public interest are nothing new - the EU’s first EDC strategy dates back to the last century. What the four-year debacle over the identification criteria for pesticides and biocides has revealed, however, is a clear need for a coordinated approach among European decision makers in order to finally implement measures that truly protect human health and the environment.