Toxic-free Europe now!

Published by Beatriz Ortiz at 4 March 2024

PETITION

We call on you to commit to a toxic free Europe and make taking action against toxic chemicals in our nature, air, water and bodies an urgent priority.

Fully implement the European Union’s promises on its Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability to ensure a toxic free Europe by 2030
A special focus must be to fix the outdated chemicals control law, REACH, to ensure the fast track banning of the most harmful chemicals in consumer products
Fully implement the European Union’s action plan to phase out PFAS, including support and facilitate the universal ban of PFAS as well as banning PFAS in sectoral legislations such as toys, cosmetics, packaging and food contact materials.
Aid communities affected by forever chemical pollution and ensure thorough monitoring, remediation, ground sanitation, health and other plans in response to their needs. Make polluting PFAS manufacturers and related companies accountable for these.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

Update 20 February 2024: At a time when we need to be fighting the chemical industry’s poisoning and polluting of our world, our leaders are making secret deals with the culprit. Today a secret meeting organised by top EU leaders and the chemical industry will take place. We found out about this through our partners: affected communities, environmentalists and scientists who have not been invited.

At the end of today’s meeting, our leaders will announce a new pact to support the chemical industry! All this will take place behind heavily guarded doors in a Belgian chemical plant’s conference centre, where the voices of affected communities and Europeans will not be present. Tell European leaders to end their toxic secrecy with the chemical industry and add your voice.

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Nothing lasts forever, except for toxic man-made PFAS chemicals. Everyday we come into contact with these ‘forever chemicals’ as they’re found in a variety of products, from food packaging to frying pans and raincoats. [1]

Not surprisingly, people all across Europe already have high levels of these dangerous chemicals in their bodies which can cause severe health issues such as cancer, infertility and birth defects. [2]

But big companies like 3M, Dupont and Bayer-Monsanto don’t care. They keep using them and have lied to us for decades about their impact on our water, air and our bodies.

These and other companies hid research on the dangers for 50 years, even from their own factory workers! [3] Now that journalists have uncovered the truth, these companies are spending 20 million euro a year to lobby our European representatives to continue with these ‘forever’ chemicals. [4]

What’s more they’re getting away with it. There was already a plan to fix the outdated, inefficient and slow chemicals control law and get rid of these and other harmful chemicals in Europe, but it’s lying in a drawer gathering dust! We need European leaders to put this plan into action.

The clock is ticking for EU leaders hoping to be re-elected in 4 months. If enough of us let them know that this is an issue people from across Europe care about, they will be forced to listen. Add your voice to demand a toxic-free Europe now!

References:

[1] PFAS, per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, are a large family of over 4,700 human-made chemicals. They are used for their capacity to repel both grease and water as well as for their resistance to high temperatures. https://eeb.org/work-areas/industry-health/pfas

[2] https://eeb.org/european-citizens-alarmingly-high-chemical-exposure/, https://www.lemonde.fr/en/les-decodeurs/article/2023/02/23/revealed-the-massive-contamination-of-europe-by-pfas-forever-chemicals_6016906_8.html

Journalists mapped forever chemical hotspots around Europe https://foreverpollution.eu/

[3] https://time.com/6284266/pfas-forever-chemicals-manufacturers-kept-secret/ https://www.bnnvara.nl/zembla/artikelen/de-pfas-doofpot

[4] https://corporateeurope.org/en/2023/07/toxics-industry-fights-back-against-proposed-forever-chemicals-ban

Website on community action against PFAS pollution across Europe: env-health.org/banpfas/