Public health: endocrine disrupters, consequences on human and animal health

The European Parliament has adopted the report drafted by Mr Torben LUND (PES, Dk) on the communication on a Community strategy for endocrine disrupters - a range of substances suspected of interfering with the hormone systems and wildlife. A major challenge to the Commission's stance is that whereas the latter would like to draw up a list of substances suspected of being endocrine disruptors and subject them to further testing, Parliament want action now. It says that list of substances should be indentified, against which steps should be taken under the precautionary principle. It should be pointed out that the report adopted by the committee responsible mirrors the report adopted at plenary,therefore, please refer to the decision of the committee responsible in the previous legislative step for the main specifications. In addition, the Parliament calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that efficient resources from the forthcoming 6th Framework Programme on Research and Development are allocated to independent research. The Parliament also recommends that the Commission initiates an investigation into the number of endocrine-disrupting substances and the quantity of EDs which humans and wildlife are exposed to, including an investigation into the quantities of EDs in foodstuffs.�