On 23 July 2013, campaign partner ClientEarth released a report indicating that manufacturers are ignoring, misrepresenting or disregarding the potential of certain EDCs.
The report, REACH registration and endocrine disrupting chemicals, is based on information made available by ECHA about five such chemicals which are used in a wide range of everyday products, including children’s toys and personal care products like sunscreens and deodorants. Industry is undermining European chemical safety with inadequate reporting of information, this is jeopardising the fundamental REACH principle of “no data, no market”.
Since 1999, when the EU Commission first published the Community Strategy for EDCs, there has been a significant increase in the scientific knowledge about these chemicals, but those responsible for ensuring the safety of chemicals they place on the EU market have not adequately adapted their approach so that their REACH dossiers reflect this increase.
The research from ClientEarth indicates that, for a number of substances known to have endocrine disrupting properties, the dossiers are not of the quality required by REACH. REACH is intended to protect public health and the environment and companies that register substances in the incorrect way should be held to account.
The five substances investigated in the report are diethyl phthalate, bisphenol A, tetrabromobisphenol A, triclosan and octyl-methoxycinnamate.
