CHEM Trust is a UK registered charity that works at EU, UK and International levels to prevent man-made chemicals from causing long term damage to wildlife or humans, by ensuring that chemicals which cause harm are substituted with safer alternatives. CHEM Trust has been running since 2007, and work closely with NGOs & academics in European & beyond. CHEM Trust works at the interface between science and policy, particularly focusing on the need to identify and phase out endocrine (hormone) disrupting chemicals.

Tell us a bit more about the main activities, campaigns and/or projects you are working on at the moment?

CHEM Trust is currently focussing its efforts on the EU chemicals policy and legislative agenda relating to industrial chemicals, food contact chemicals, pesticides and biocides. We’re particularly focussed on the implementation of EU legislation on endocrine disrupting chemicals.

We also work to highlight the need for the Circular economy to include processes to address hazardous chemicals. Finally, we work to ensure that Brexit does not result in weaker regulation of chemicals within the UK.

In addition to our participation in the EEB’s chemicals working group, we are also part of the EDC Free network and Break Free From Plastic.

What does EEB membership mean to your organisation? How does it help you in your daily work and to bring about the changes you would like to see in Europe and beyond?

The EEB’s chemical working group is a vital forum for discussion and development of EU chemicals policy. It’s one of the reasons why the NGOs working on chemicals collaborate so effectively and helps to ensure that we have maximum impact on EU chemicals policy.

The EEB’s broader work on better regulation and sustainable development, and linked work on the circular economy, product policy and industrial pollution, are also important to ensure policy coherence.

Do you have a recent success story that you would like to share with us?

We have been highlighting for four years that EU’s regulations on chemicals in food contact materials (like packaging) are inadequate, with materials like paper and card not properly covered & chemicals identified as being ‘very high concern’ in REACH are still used in food packaging.

The Commission’s DG Health has finally announced that it will be reviewing the laws in this area (which date back to 1976), though they are moving very slowly… (see www.chemtrust.org/food-contact)