The EU risks missing a major opportunity to protect workers, consumers and the environment from serious and growing chemical pollution, the largest consumer, green and union groups warned today, days before the EU announces a raft of environmental policies.<\/span><\/p>\n Manmade toxic chemicals are linked to rising <\/span>health<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>fertility<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>developmental<\/span><\/a> and environmental problems, including the collapse in <\/span>insect, bird<\/span><\/a> and aquatic <\/span>mammal<\/span><\/a> populations. Last week a damning European Environment Agency <\/span>report<\/span><\/a> found that hazardous chemicals were one of Europe\u2019s main threats and most off-track policy areas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The civil society groups called on the European Commission to strengthen failing EU chemical safety laws (<\/span>letter<\/span><\/a> and political <\/span>recommendations<\/span><\/a>). The Commission is set to <\/span>announce<\/span><\/a> its flagship environment programme, the European Green Deal, on Wednesday.<\/span><\/p>\n Leaks of the Commission plans suggest president Von der Leyen may fail to follow through on her public commitment to a \u201c<\/span>zero pollution<\/span><\/a>\u201d goal. The Green Deal has been expected to reiterate the commitment made by all three EU institutions to a <\/span>Non-toxic Environment Strategy<\/span><\/a>, already overdue, in line with the <\/span>Sustainable Development Goals<\/span><\/a> but the leaked plans have placed this in doubt.<\/span><\/p>\n The leaked plans reflect <\/span>stated<\/span><\/a> chemical industry preferences. A \u201cpackage of regulatory measures\u201d by 2021 was part of a <\/span>draft<\/span><\/a> green deal that emerged on 29 November, but was removed in a second draft seen by the EEB on 2 December. That version contained no chemical policy reforms whatsoever. An \u201c<\/span>innovation principle<\/span><\/a>\u201d is present in a leaked Commission <\/span>presentation<\/span><\/a>, roughly a <\/span>copy and paste<\/span> of industry proposals.<\/span><\/p>\n