*[Enwl-eng] A toxic Europe

[ENWL]

      Leaked documents prove it: the EU Commission could allow even more 
toxins in our everyday products! All to make it easier and cheaper for 
companies to do business. It may be cheaper for business, but it is not 
cheaper for our health.

      Say no to A toxic Europe
Hi,

Think of your living room sofa. There’s a good chance that it's been coated 
in toxic chemicals to prevent large fires. But what happens in case of a 
fire? You are more likely to be injured or even killed by inhaling toxic 
smoke from the chemicals than by the flames themselves. [1] Harmful 
chemicals are used everywhere, including toys, building materials, and much 
more. We’re literally all exposed to them. [2]

And now, leaked documents prove that rather than protecting our health and 
the environment, the EU is considering allowing even more toxins in our 
everyday products! [3] These new plans are going to be finalised and 
presented in less than a month, but we still have a fighting chance. Here’s 
how:

Frans Timmermans, the EU Commission Executive Vice-President, is the person 
responsible for the new plans. He’s shown time and time again that he’s 
responsive to citizens’ voices, and it’s clear that he’s a true believer in 
making Europe truly more sustainable.

But corporations never stop their lobbying, and they see an opportunity to 
get the Commission to rubber-stamp more toxins. In the end, Timmermans has 
the power and authority to shape the legislation to protect people and the 
environment. But if we expect him to fight for us, then we need to show him 
that we’re behind him.

            Say NO to a toxic Europe


There’s scientific evidence that furniture made from tightly woven natural 
fabrics is not more likely to catch fire than furniture treated with flame 
retardants, and produces far less toxic gas. [4] But using toxic flame 
retardants is cheaper for big business, and the EU is letting them do it.

The Commission isn’t expecting people like you and me to be following this 
news on toxic chemicals too closely -- because they know that things like 
COVID-19 and the recovery plan are in our minds instead. So, if we do raise 
our voices, we’re sure we’ll be heard.

All the more, Timmermans needs us to have his back. He has a declaration of 
support from the European Parliament [5] so he is not completely alone. But 
a popular voice from all corners of Europe can be a game changer. If at 
least 100,000 of us make our voices heard to Timmermans, he’ll have the 
perfect justification to push back against the lobbyists and champion our 
call.

            Demand a toxic-free Europe!


Since our community was founded, we’ve run dozens of petitions towards key 
Commissioners, including Frans Timmermans. When we ran a campaign for 
ambitious legislation on plastics, Timmermans met us to receive our 
signatures and pledged to be our “ally”. In the end, we won! [6]

If we all raise our voices together, we’ll be so much louder than the 
industries that are lobbying against our health and environment -- please 
join us.

With hope,

David (London), Marta (Warsaw), Olga (Bologna), and the entire WeMove Europe 
team

PS: In case you needed more reasons to demand ending toxic pollution: 
Exposure to toxic chemicals increases vulnerability to viral infections, 
such as the COVID-19. [7] SIGN!



References:
[1] https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.1003089
[2] According to Europe’s own statistics, two thirds of the chemicals 
produced in the EU are hazardous to health. According to the World Health 
Organisation, 1.6 million lives were lost due to exposures to selected 
chemicals in 2016 alone and this is likely an underestimation.
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Chemicals_production_and_consumption_statistics
https://www.who.int/ipcs/publications/chemicals-public-health-impact/en/
[3] 
https://meta.eeb.org/2020/07/16/chemical-industry-cheerleader-how-dg-grow-puts-industry-above-public-interest-regulation/
https://www.politico.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SKM_C45820071709110.pdf
https://www.env-health.org/revealed-european-commission-frictions-over-the-chemicals-strategy-for-sustainability-heals-concerns-for-health-protection/
https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12264-Chemicals-strategy-for-sustainability-
[4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653517319781
[5] 
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-a-european-green-deal/file-chemicals-strategy
[6] https://www.facebook.com/frans.timmermans/videos/1547541318602055/
https://twitter.com/TimmermansEU/status/912621524959547392
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/product-details/20190121CDT02681
[7] 
https://theintercept.com/2020/06/26/coronavirus-toxic-chemicals-pfas-bpa/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7345938/
https://www.ehn.org/toxic-chemicals-coronavirus-2645713170.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1



WeMove Europe is an independent and values-based organisation that seeks to 
build people power to transform Europe in the name of our community, future 
generations and the planet.

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From: David - WeMove Europe
Sent: Friday, September 18, 2020 2:58 PM
Subject: A toxic Europe
 
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