Member States vote in favor of EU Commission’s new proposal for criteria to identify endocrine disrupting pesticides; exemption for substances with intentional endocrine activity removed; NGOs criticize remaining high burden of proof
Chemicals, diabetes and obesity
NGO publishes list of studies linking environmental chemicals to diabetes and obesity
BfR informs about mineral oil migration
German risk assessment institute answers frequently asked questions about mineral oil migration from cardboard food packaging, recommends using virgin fibers, mineral-oil-free printing inks, functional barriers
Terminus and BioICEP address multilayer recycling
Research consortium secures 12 million Euro funding, launches projects in-built Triggered Enzymes to Recycle Multi-layers: an Innovation for USes in packaging (Terminus) and The Bio–Innovation of a Circular Economy for Plastics (BioICEP) ; set goal to solve problems associated with multilayered packaging, transform linear to a circular process
China revises regulation on new chemical substances
Government publishes final regulatory text, substance approval linked to persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic properties; identity of new substances to be made publicly available after maximum period of 5 years; comes into force on January 1, 2021
Delay of EU non-toxic environment strategy
Finalization of the EU’s non-toxic environment strategy shifted into 2019 after new European Commission in office
Webinar on REACH requirements for nanoforms
European Chemicals Agency hosts webinar on November 12, 2019, to explain definition of nanoform, approaches to building sets of similar nanoforms, new REACH data requirements
Zero Waste Europe webinar on chemical recycling
Webinar on November 12, 2019, to address techniques within chemical recycling, provide comparison with mechanical recycling, review current state of the technology and existing policies; includes speakers from Plastic Energy and DG Environment
France bans TiO2 in food
France bans titanium dioxide in food by 2020 following report by ANSES reiterating 2017 recommendation to reduce exposures; EFSA does not see need to open reassessment at the moment
EFSA working group updates: September 2019
Minutes from recent meetings of the EFSA working groups on BPS, BPA, FCMs, phthalates, and recycling plastic available