Major report released on assessment of Endocrine Disruptors

The important report, “State of the Art of the Assessment of Endocrine Disruptors”, released by the European Commission, represents a major step forward in the discussion on the science on chemicals with endocrine disrupting properties and the development of policy to regulate them.

The voluminous assessment, written by Professor Andreas Kortenkamp and a specially-constituted research team, was contracted by the Directorate-General of Environment in the European Commission, a unit which is responsible for the overarching Strategy document guiding European Union actions on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals.

The Report covers the following areas:

• Definition of EDCs
• Frameworks for Regulatory Testing & Screening
• Scientific Results of Regulatory Significance (including Weight of Evidence Approaches, Low Dose Effects, Critical Windows of Sensitivity, Mixtures, Chemicals of Concern)
• European Regulatory Framework
• Proposals by EU Member State Authorities and Stakeholders
• Testing Requirements and Decision Criteria
• Research and Development Needs
• Annex 1- Summary of the State of the Science (including Definitions, Overarching Issues, Human Health Endpoints, Wildlife Endpoints)
• Annex 2- Summary of Expert Consultations on Approaches to the Regulatory Assessment of EDs (Experts from various European countries, competing economies internationally – USA, Canada, Japan, Intergovernmental Agencies, Industry and Public Interest Associations)
• Annex 3- Comparative Analysis of Endpoints and Assays by Human Health and Wildlife Endpoint.

The report will inform both the revision of the EU Strategy on endocrine disruptors, now 12 years old, and the Commission’s deliberations on how to improve existing and develop specific future EU regulatory processes that define, identify and regulate endocrine disrupting chemicals.

In particular, the report will serve to inform the EU’s work over the next two years to develop the criteria that will be used to identify and regulate hormone disruptors under the EU Pesticides and Biocides laws, and to some extent REACH (the so-called industrial chemicals regulation). Later these criteria will potentially be deployed in other relevant EU laws, such as those on cosmetics, food contact materials, and toys safety.

The “State of the art Assessment of Endocrine Disruptors” final report can be found here (DG Environment, European Commission).