ESPE, ESE, and the Endocrine Society urge the EU to put citizen’s health first in the Chemicals Package rather than prioritising corporate interests
The European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE), together with the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) and the Endocrine Society, is releasing a joint statement expressing deep concern over the European Commission’s proposed Chemicals Omnibus Package and Chemicals Action Plan. While these initiatives are presented as efforts to streamline legislation and enhance industrial competitiveness, ESPE warns that they risk significantly weakening consumer protections and endangering public health, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and pregnant women.
A Call for Stronger Protections Against Hazardous Chemicals
While framed as efforts to simplify legislation, the societies warn that the proposals could weaken protections against harmful substances—particularly endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and carcinogenic, mutagenic, and reprotoxic (CMR) substances. Many of these substances are found in everyday products, including cosmetics, and are linked to serious health conditions such as cancer, infertility, obesity, and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Concerns Over the Cosmetic Products Regulation (CPR)
ESPE strongly opposes proposed changes to Article 15 of the Cosmetic Products Regulation, which would:
- Weaken safeguards by simplifying derogation criteria, potentially allowing unsafe substances in products used by children.
- Exempt natural complex substances from CMR restrictions, despite their potential toxicity.
- Limit bans to substances harmful through dermal exposure, ignoring real-world risks of inhalation and ingestion.
Given the widespread use of cosmetics, especially among pregnant women and young children, ESPE insists that this Regulation must uphold the highest standards of protection.
Support for PFAS Restrictions
The societies support a universal restriction on PFAS, with exceptions only for essential uses where no alternatives exist. ESPE advocates for regulatory measures that consider the persistence of these substances and call for an immediate ban in consumer products such as cosmetics, food contact materials, and outdoor clothing.
A Commitment to Advocacy and Public Awareness
ESPE reaffirms its commitment to working with EU institutions to ensure that chemical regulations prioritise human health. It pledges to bring the hazards of EDCs for children’s health and well-being to the attention of policymakers to raise awareness and set in place a regulatory framework that effectively protects children from harmful exposure.
