WI Members Descent on Brussels to Lobby for Tough Action on Chemicals

1.42.24pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 19th Jan 2005

Four leading figures from the Women's Institute joined Hampshire MEP Chris Huhne yesterday to press their concerns on the level of hazardous chemicals in our everyday lives and their effect on our health.

The WI members - Jean Sheppard, Helen Bacon, Margaret Foulds, and Linda Turner - are part of the campaign to support an extensive new research programme proposed in new EU legislation.

The WWF, the WI and the Cooperative Bank joined forces to campaign for increased regulation on hazardous man made chemicals (endocrine disrupting chemicals and very bioaccumulative chemicals) in forthcoming EU chemicals legislation known as REACH.

Following the presentation of a 78,000 signed petition to the European Parliament last summer, a group of 30 WI members came back to Brussels today to sit in on the debate of the petition by MEPs.

Chris Huhne welcomed the support shown by Members in the Petition's Committee today. "It is frightening how many hazardous chemicals we are exposed to just in our own homes. Cleaning products, air fresheners, TV sets, products we use everyday could be exposing us to a cocktail of man-made chemicals. It is vital that these concerns are taken into account when the legislation on chemicals comes to the European Parliament this year".