Socialdemokratiet (The Social Democrats) demands EU ban on endocrine disrupting substances to protect fertility. The Social Democrats have announced that they want to introduce an EU ban on endocrine disrupting substances in the upcoming term. According to the party, these substances have serious health consequences, especially for fertility. Lead candidate Christel Schaldemose and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen highlight that there is a clear connection between environmentally hazardous substances and declining fertility, making a ban necessary. Christel Schaldemose emphasizes the importance of addressing the issue at the EU level. “We know that there is a connection to environmentally hazardous substances, and therefore it is incredibly important for us to do something about it. It is the EU that should implement a ban on it,” she says. The Social Democrats want to introduce a precautionary principle, where new products and chemicals must be documented as free from endocrine disrupting properties before they can be approved. Additionally, the party wants substances and chemicals to be evaluated in combination to account for so-called cocktail effects, where multiple chemicals can react differently in the body.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen highlights that the general public is “defenseless” against harmful chemicals. She has personal experience with the consequences of dangerous substances, as her mother died of cancer, possibly caused by asbestos. Both Schaldemose and Frederiksen are concerned about the challenges that endocrine disrupting substances pose to Danish fertility. Frederiksen has spoken with several researchers, all of whom point to endocrine disrupting substances playing a role in fertility problems, although the extent is still unclear.
Schaldemose points out that the EU Commission has already done the groundwork for a ban, and therefore it should be possible to implement the proposal if there is political support. “It was on the table and now it’s sitting in a drawer over at the EU Commission – we just have to take it out,” she says. The Social Democrats hope for broad support for the initiative to protect the health and fertility of future generations.