Communication from the Commission to the Council – The combination effects of chemicals: Chemical mixtures

In recent years there has been an increasing focus on the effects on human health and on the environment arising from exposure to many different chemicals. These effects are variously referred to as combination effects, mixture effects or cocktail effects. The European Parliament has consistently drawn attention to the need to take account, in the context of EU chemicals' legislation, of the combined effects of different chemicals on human health and the environment.

On 22 December 2009, the Council adopted a set of conclusions on the "combination effects of chemicals". The Council in particular, invited the Commission "… to assess how and whether relevant existing Community legislation adequately addresses risks from exposure to multiple chemicals from different sources and pathways, and on this basis to consider appropriate modifications, guidelines and assessment methods, and report back to the Council by early 2012 at the latest."

The purpose of the present Communication is to respond formally to the invitation from the Council and in particular to assess whether the current EU legislation, which is built predominantly on the assessment of single substances and single sources, guarantees the high level of protection required by the Treaty.

The challenge of dealing with chemical mixtures will also be taken-up in the context of preparing the future priorities for environmental policy. Actions taken to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemical mixtures will also contribute to the achievement of the objectives in the Health for Growth programme.

EUR-Lex: COM(2012)252: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2012:252:FIN

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