They are ultra-widespread but harmful to health. Entire families of chemical substances are in the process of being banned by the European Union, according to a European Commission plan unveiled on Monday 25 April. The document details the future restrictions envisaged as part of the vast revision of the European legislation on chemicals, currently negotiated between Brussels and the member states, “by targeting the substances most harmful to human health and the environment”.
The works are “very advanced” for six families of substances examined by Echa (European Chemicals Agency), the States and the Commission with a view to a project for progressive prohibition, even before the adoption of a new methodology for the management of chemical substances in EU expected from 2025.
This includes the group of PVCs (polyvinyl chlorides), plastics that cannot be easily recycled, used in a wide range of products (toys, food packaging, textiles, shoes, furniture, etc.), as well as their additives (phthalates, PFAS, heavy metals). ..), accused of being linked to cancer or obesity. Many, such as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), present in food packaging (pizza boxes, etc.), paints, varnishes or coatings, accumulate in the body.
Other target groups: flame retardants (flame retardants in mattresses, clothing, car seats, etc.) and substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMR) in articles for children, in particular nappies.
Also concerned are all bisphenols, used in the manufacture of plastics and food containers, and considered endocrine disruptors. This plan targets both entire families of components and their banning for “a wide range of uses, industrial, professional, consumer”explains the Commission.
“All substances of the same family are considered as dangerous as the most harmful” and this map “covers thousands of chemical compounds”explains the NGO European Environmental Bureau (EEB), which anticipates a ban within two years and complete in 2030. “The petrochemical industry will fiercely oppose it (…) Flame retardants and bisphenols are widely used, it takes political courage to ban them. Almost all manufactured goods in stores and our homes will be affected”says Tatiana Santos of EEB.