Following consecutive delays and repeated pressure from the European Parliament, the European Commission has presented last month the criteria to identify endocrine disruptors in the field of plant protection products and biocides. The Commission proposes to the Council and the European Parliament to adopt a strong science-based approach to the identification of endocrine disruptors and to endorse the widely accepted WHO definition. The WHO defines an endocrine disruptor as “an exogenous substance or mixture that alters function(s) of the endocrine system and consequently causes adverse health effects in an intact organism, or its progeny, or (sub)populations”. The criteria also specify that the identification should make use of all relevant scientific evidence, use a weight of an evidence-based approach, and apply a robust systematic review.
Source: http://europa.eu/