We’ve been raising the red flag on disastrous rules the EU has drafted on hormone-disrupting chemicals for the last few months. But it turns out things are worse than we thought -- CETA has already been used to weaken the regulation of these dangerous chemicals.
In closed door talks, the US and Canada have been pushing hard to weaken EU regulations meant to protect consumers from harmful chemicals found in some pesticides, such as endocrine disruptors. Which means trade deals like TTIP and CETA will make it easier for countries to import food into the EU that don’t meet our previous safety standards.
Before the European Parliament votes on CETA in February, there’s time for Parliamentary committees to weigh in on the deal. The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) hasn’t spoken out -- yet. But with news breaking of how CETA weakens public health regulations, we need to use this moment to ask ENVI to put public health first and speak out against the disastrous trade deal.
Tell the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety to stand up against CETA provisions that put foreign company profits above public health!
For months, the EU has been been crafting regulations on hormone-disrupting chemicals linked to cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other serious developmental disorders. Experts were already slamming the bill, saying it set the burden of proof of harm so high that most harmful chemicals would go unregulated. But now it’s clear that weak regulations are exactly the point of deals like CETA meant to entice foreign companies.
Weakening chemical regulations is just another example what happens when corporate lobbyists set the agenda for international trade deals like CETA while the public is kept it the dark. From public health to worker safety, CETA prioritizes foreign corporations’ profits over our safety and livelihoods. Which is why tens of thousands of SumOfUs community members have been ramping up pressure against MEPs to vote against CETA.
We know it’s not going to be easy to convince enough parliamentarians to shut down the deal. That’s why we need more committees like ENVI to use their power to sound the alarm about the dangers of the deal -- and there are plenty to go around. Let’s come together to ask ENVI to take a stance against CETA before it’s too late.
Tell Parliament’s environment committee to stand up against CETA and the risk it poses to public health.
More information
EurActiv. 16 December 2016.