EU moves to define endocrine disruptors

European Union member states on July 4 adopted a list of criteria for identifying whether the active ingredient in a pesticide is an endocrine disruptor. The benchmarks are expected to set the stage for regulating chemicals that interfere with hormones in products beyond pesticides, including toys, cosmetics, and food packaging. “After months of discussion we are advancing in the direction of the first regulatory system in the world with legally binding criteria to define what an endocrine disruptor is,” says EU Commissioner for Health & Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis. “Once implemented, the text will ensure that any active substance used in pesticides which is identified as an endocrine disruptor for people or animals can be assessed and withdrawn from the market.” Neither the pesticide industry nor environmental groups supported the criteria when they were first proposed by the European Commission last year. Little has changed since then, and both sides