2.4: Environment and Health
To undertake, in cooperation with OECD, Eurostat, Joint Research Centre, and EU agencies a variety of assessments and data
gathering exercises to provide support for policy development aimed at reducing adverse impacts on human health from pollutants,
chemicals and various technologies. There will also be an emphasis on studies that highlight the need for early action and
on the benefits of preventive and precautionary measures.
Other Information:
Analysis - Environmental quality and the link to human health is recognised as one of the priorities of the 6th Environment
Action Programme. It is also reflected in a new Community Action Programme 2008–2013 in the field of health; the EU Environment
and Health Action Plan 2004–2010; the renewed EU Sustainable Development Strategy; and in the major EU chemical policies,
and the World Health Organisation Children and Environment Health Action Programme. Mid-term evaluations of these programmes
recognised the progress made but indicated strongly the need for intensive work in the future. At the recent EU Council, health
ministers underlined the need for early action, the benefits of preventive and precautionary measures and the need for the
development of tools for anticipating, preventing and responding to potential threats from emerging and re-emerging issues
such as nanotechnology, and to strengthen the involvement of relevant stakeholders through partnerships across sectors at
all levels. They also called for information on environmental determinants with positive health impacts such as biodiverse
environments, non-motorised means of transport and housing conditions. Action - We will achieve our objective by: • improving
accessibility of information on environment and health and chemicals, including further development of indicators, spatial
analyses, and links with SEIS and GMES; • testing the applicability of various methodological approaches, including biomonitoring,
to estimate both adverse and beneficial impacts of pollutants (including plastics, endocrine disruptors, GM crops for fuel
and fibre) in the environment and ecosystems (including ambient and indoor air, water and soil) on ecosystem functioning and
human health and wellbeing; • examining the environmental burden of pollutants and chemicals, including aspects of age, socio-economic
status and migrational background; • providing inputs for all major EEA assessments, including SOER 2010 and Eureca 2012,
its regional assessments, and various international reports and assessments such as the UN Environment for Europe Ministerial
Conference; • producing a report on Bradford-Hill work on causality criteria in the environment and health arena; • cooperating
with key partners on significant EU inter-institutional processes, and on major events and meetings, such as WHO Ministerial
Conference and the 2009 European Public Health Association conference; and • improving decision-support tools on dealing with
uncertainty, risk, ignorance and precaution within key environment and health issues.
Indicator(s):
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