Economy & Jobs
Energy & Environment
By Clara Bauer-Babef | EURACTIV.com
A study by the French safety agency conducted in January 2019, proves that 90% of babies have been exposed to "very serious" chemicals contained in nappies. [New Africa/Shutterstock]
Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram
NGOs and EU lawmakers have urged the European Commission to regulate the use of chemicals in baby nappies. In 2019, French safety agency (ANSES) revealed that almost all European children are exposed to substances that are hazardous to their health.
“Day after day, week after week, incredibly sensitive newborns and toddlers may be exposed to some of the most toxic substances on the planet. Incredibly, this situation is perfectly legal”, said Dolores Romano, chemicals policy officer at the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) in a press release.
Romano referred to a study by ANSES conducted in January 2019, which proved that 90% of babies have been exposed to “very serious” chemicals contained in nappies.
These chemicals harmful to health expose babies to “potentially very serious diseases” in their future lives, ANSES said.
Children are particularly vulnerable to chemicals, according to the World Health Organisation .
In 2020, ANSES conducted an identical study to find out if the dangerous chemicals had disappeared since 2019 and found that only formaldehyde, a carcinogen, was still present in the diapers.
“French pressure forced manufacturers to clean up their act, showing that it is perfectly possible. But as soon as the inspectors are gone, the problem could be back. That’s why a law is needed”, Romano said.
For now, there is no law regulating the use of chemicals in nappies. However, in December 2020 ANSES stressed the need to establish a regulatory framework in the EU to limit the use of these dangerous chemicals.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has acknowledged that the chemicals should not be present in diapers, but said that the ANSES study is not enough to prove that there is a real risk to babies.
ECHA chooses to “defend the economic interests of the industry, rather than supporting safety restrictions that would protect the health of these young children,” said Anja Hazekamp, vice-chair of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) in the European Parliament.
A thousand diapers are manufactured in Europe every minute, according to figures from ANSES. The market represents €7 billion per year and is dominated by two brands: Pampers and Huggies.
Faced with the inaction of the European institutions, a group of 21 NGOs, including the EEB, decided to write to the Commission.
In their letter, they indicate that the consequences on the health of children could be “irreversible” and ask the Commission to ban these chemicals by appealing to the “precautionary principle” contained in the EU treaties which aims to ensure a high level of protection for the environment and human health.
“The Commission recently pledged to protect children from chemical hazards. It should take this nappies threat seriously, stop wasting time and eliminate toxic nappies” Romano continued.
“There is an accumulation of evidence documenting how chemicals impact children’s development. Why is the EU so slow and reluctant in taking action to protect them?” asked ENVI member Tilly Metz.
“I urge the Commission to urgently remedy this and set high European standards for healthier single-use diapers,” she added.
By 2019, ANSES had detected 38 chemical substances with a “very serious danger” to children. Most of these substances are endocrine disruptors.
In total, more than 14 million European children were exposed to these substances likely to cause cancer, “suspected endocrine disruption” or “reprotoxic effects”.
Two years of the pandemic have shown that Europe has a lot to catch up on in terms of ensuring the availability of medicines and developing new ones.
Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram