Brussels, Luxembourg – A crucial court hearing against the European Commission took place yesterday. (1) The European Union Court of Justice in Luxembourg heard Sweden’s case against the Commission for failing to fulfil its legal obligations regarding hormone disrupting chemicals, also known as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). (1)
IPEN and representatives from numerous Participating Organizations have recently organized and/or participated in two important meetings relating to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs): the "1st African Conference on the Health Effects of Endocrine Disruptors - Challenges and Opportunities" (which took place in Skukuza, South Africa, from 2 – 6 November), and an "NGO meeting on European Policy on EDCs" (which took place in Brussels, Belgium, on 11 and 12 November).
Despite acknowledging an “oversight” by failing to notice a conflict of interest before commissioning and publishing a report on Quebec’s asbestos industry, Concordia University does not plan to officially retract the report in question.
Rejecting the malicious complaints filed in Manila to pester Dr. Romeo Quijano, a doctor, scientist and internationally recognized health expert, over 100 groups from 47 countries signed a joint appeal initiated by IPEN and Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP) asking the government of the Philippines to dismiss the dubious complaints and halt the harassment against Dr. Quijano, who is also a former co-chair of IPEN.
The newsletter features updates from IPEN Participating Organizations on some of their work in the region, including from Sevlanka Foundation, Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO), LEADERS Nepal, Toxics Link, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Jagrata Juba Shangha (JJS), Center for Public Health and Environmental Development (CEPHED), and Centre for Innvovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA).
A global health organisation has called for reproductive health professionals to lobby for policies that prevent exposure to hazardous chemicals.
In an paper published today, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (Figo) said doctors need to do more than advise patients about the health risks of chemical exposure.
On August 11, 2015, in Minsk, Belarus, the second sub-regional seminar of IPEN Participating Organisations was completed. The event was coordinated by Eco-Accord, IPEN Hub for Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA), and Centre of Environmental Solutions (CES), Belarus, and was attended by NGOs from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine, and representatives of IPEN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) in Ukraine. They discussed issues associated with strengthening civil society organisations working on chemical safety. The first seminar of the series was held in June 2015, in Almaty, for Central Asia countries.
