EU fails to protect children & environment from toxic chemicals: Report

The EU is failing to protect children and the environment from toxic chemicals, according to a report by the Child Rights International Network (CRIN). The report claims that the EU’s legislation on chemicals is weak and outdated, and that children are exposed to harmful substances in everyday items, such as baby diapers.

CRIN urges the EU to honour its promises to adopt a more sustainable and child-friendly approach to chemicals, as outlined in the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (2020) and the Strategy on the Rights of the Child (2021). The report also accuses the European chemical industry of influencing the EU’s policies and weakening the restrictions on toxic substances.

The report criticises the EU for not revising and improving its main chemicals law, the REACH regulation, which is supposed to ensure the safety of chemicals in the EU market.

The CRIN report says that children are suffering the consequences of this inaction, as their health and the environment are harmed by toxic chemicals. The report also highlights the negative effects of chemical pollution on public health systems, economies and social welfare.

IQ loss and other serious damage

The report by the Child Rights International Network (CRIN) warns that toxic chemicals are harming children’s health and the environment in Europe. The CRIN report says that children are exposed to harmful substances in their food, water, air, and everyday items, such as toys and baby diapers.

The report also says that the EU’s legislation on chemicals is inadequate and outdated, and that the EU has failed to implement its own strategies to make chemicals more sustainable and child-friendly.

The CRIN report cites scientific studies that have shown that exposure to toxic chemicals in early life can cause serious health problems, such as childhood cancers, IQ loss, asthma, diabetes, obesity, and more. The report criticises the European Parliament for rejecting a plan to improve the regulation on pesticides, which are widely used in the EU and pose a threat to children’s health.

The report also quotes Carlos de Prada, the head of the Toxic-Free Home initiative, who says that the EU needs to reform its main chemicals law, the REACH regulation, and reduce the use of pesticides, otherwise European children will face unnecessary risks for a long time.

The CRIN report also denounces that the EU’s legislation allows many toxic substances to be present in toys and other children’s products.

The report gives examples of how the Danish Consumer Council found toxic bisphenols in 60% of children’s products tested, and how the Dutch organization Tegentif found substances of high concern in plastic toys.

The report says that the European Commission proposed to improve the regulation on toys in 2023, but it has not been implemented yet.

Not even baby diapers are free from toxins

This is a summary of a report by the Child Rights International Network (CRIN) that exposes the presence of toxic substances in baby diapers and other childcare products in the EU.

The report criticises the EU for not taking sufficient action to protect children and the environment from the harmful effects of these chemicals, despite the recommendations of the French agency ANSES and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

The report also calls on the EU to implement its strategies on chemicals and children’s rights and to reform its legislation on chemicals, especially the REACH regulation.

The CRIN report also criticises the EU for not fulfilling its promises, such as the 2022 Restrictions Roadmap, which aimed to limit or eliminate thousands of harmful substances.

The report says that the EU has been influenced by the chemical industry and has not made enough progress on this initiative. The report warns that many toxic substances, such as bisphenols, PFAS, phthalates and flame retardants, will still be used in the EU for a long time.

The CRIN report also urges the EU to stop exporting the substances that are banned in the EU because of their dangers. The report says that these substances are often sent to countries that have less protection measures and that children in these countries are more vulnerable to the effects of chemical pollution.

Babies are born already contaminated

The Child Rights International Network (CRIN) warns that children are exposed to toxic chemicals from the womb to the grave. The report says that fetal development is a critical period when pollutants can have lasting effects, such as the “fetal origin of adult diseases”. The report also says that children are more vulnerable to chemical hazards throughout their lives.

The CRIN urges the EU to reform its legislation on chemicals and to comply with its legal obligations under various European and UN treaties. The report says that children’s rights should be the priority and the guiding principle for improving the EU’s laws on chemicals.

The CRIN report also criticises the EU for not protecting children from the widespread presence of dangerous substances in their food, air, water, and everyday products. The report says that the EU uses 196 million tons of health-harming substances every year, as shown in the document.

Incomplete evaluations

One of the most worrying aspects that it denounces is that countless chemical products continue to be marketed without it having been previously demonstrated that they do not represent health risks. Data provided by the European Environment Agency (EEA) show that only 500 of the 100,000 synthetic chemicals circulating on the European market have been more or less adequately assessed for toxicity.

The CRIN report also warns that many chemical products are sold in the EU without proving that they are safe for health. The report cites the European Environment Agency (EEA), which says that only 500 out of 100,000 synthetic chemicals in the EU market have been properly tested for toxicity.

The study also refers to the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU), which has found that the European people, especially children, have a high level of exposure to various toxic substances in their bodies. The report says that this situation will worsen if the EU does not act soon, as the use and accumulation of toxic chemicals will increase.

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