91998E3810

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3810/98

by Ulla Sandbæk (I-EDN) to the Commission

(22 December 1998)

Subject: EU's actions on endocrine-disrupters

The Commission indicated to Parliament in October that it would be looking at recommendations for short-, medium- and long-term EU actions on endocrine-disrupters. What is the Commission's proposed timetable for considering and approving those recommendations and then for taking action on them, in particular the short-term actions?

Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission

(10 February 1999)

The Commission is currently considering the components of an overall strategy for monitoring and preventing the risks associated with chemicals which can act as endocrine disrupters. It intends to present a communication on this subject in the course of the first half of 1999.

The Scientific Committee for Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment (SCTEE) is also currently preparing a scientific opinion on this subject, the title of which will be along the lines of "Opinion of the SCTEE concerning the effects on human health and the environment of endocrine disrupters, focusing on ecotoxicological test methods." This opinion should be adopted in the course of 1999.