---

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are chemical substances that interfere with the hormonal functions of living organisms and can affect human health (cancers, neurodevelopmental disorders, infertility…), sometimes across multiple generations. They also have an impact on ecosystem health (wildlife, biodiversity...).

They are found in many everyday and professional products and items (household products, detergents, pesticides, cosmetics, food, etc.) and are therefore also present in aquatic environments, air, and soil.

Building on a first strategy launched in 2014, a second National Strategy on Endocrine Disruptors (SNPE2) was adopted in 2019, aiming to reduce exposure of the population and the environment to EDs. Its action plan includes fifty measures grouped into three pillars: Education and Information, Protection of the Population and the Environment, and Advancing Knowledge.

Modest results despite some progress

After six months of investigation (nearly 300 people interviewed, site visits in various regions and in Brussels…), the joint task force from the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs (IGAS) and the General Inspectorate of the Environment and Sustainable Development (IGEDD) delivered a mixed assessment of SNPE2. While progress has been made (notably in regulation, research, and awareness for future and new parents), it falls well short of the goals set in 2019—particularly in terms of enforcement and emission reduction. The shortcomings in monitoring systems and the lack of indicator tracking within SNPE2 make it impossible to determine whether its primary goal—reducing exposure of the population and the environment to endocrine disruptors—has been met.

Revisiting the governance, format, and content of the next strategy

Given the risks EDs pose to human health and ecosystems, the task force recommends continuing the efforts of the past decade and launching a third edition of the national strategy on endocrine disruptors (SNPE3), provided its governance, format, and content are thoroughly revised. SNPE3 should set an ambitious target for the next fifteen years (“Zero ED Exposure”), with strengthened interministerial coordination and strong political leadership at the highest level. This strategy should include five-year action plans, focused on a limited number of objectives and supported by a dedicated budget.

Access to the entire report in French

• Évaluation de la deuxième stratégie nationale sur les perturbateurs endocriniens