Debate: Strategic approach to pharmaceuticals in the environment
Date: MONDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2020
Speaker: Virginijus Sinkevičius
Language: EN

There is overwhelming evidence that traces of pharmaceuticals in water and soil endanger wildlife such as fish, birds and insects, and have an adverse impact on the environment. Pharmaceuticals are now found across Europe’s surface water, and have even reached our drinking water, even if not in quantities that cause immediate concern. Effective medication must remain fully available to citizens. We all agree on this – in the light of the ongoing sanitary crisis probably more than ever. At the same time, we must avoid that there is an undue impact of pharmaceuticals on the environment, because this is the other aspect of which the pandemic has reminded us so strongly: that our health and well—being depends so heavily on a healthy environment. In 2019, the Commission put forward the European strategic approach to pharmaceuticals in the environment. My colleague Stella Kyriakides and I, together, we are leading work within the Commission on this important matter. We are pleased that the Council and Parliament have shown support for the approach, focusing on the entire life cycle of pharmaceuticals. Today, and in reply to the points you raised in your oral questions, I am glad to report that we have made good progress in implementing the different actions we announced and proposed last year. For example, additional pharmaceuticals were included in the revised watch—list under the Water Framework Directive in August this year. For example, additional pharmaceuticals were included for veterinary and medical products, and implementing and delegated acts are currently being drafted under the regulation on veterinary medical products. They also aim to promote more prudent use of antimicrobials and implement new rules on oral medication. The Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation already reduces emissions during manufacturing of pharmaceuticals through authorisation of used substances. But an effective reduction of the impact of pharmaceuticals on the environment cannot be achieved at EU level without strong engagement also at the level of national health authorities, the pharmaceutical industry and health professionals. In the medicines area, we have started working with Member States’ health ministries, for instance to make sure health professionals are aware of environmental impacts, and we encourage initiatives taken in some Nordic countries to use public procurement as a tool to promote pharmaceuticals that are produced in a green manner. The European Medicines Agency is currently working on updated guidelines on environmental risk assessment for human medical products, and in the waste sector, new guidelines will be developed on collecting schemes for unused medicines. In the area of research, the ongoing Horizon 2020 programme is co—founding solution—oriented research, as illustrated, for example, by a wide—ranging study on contaminants of emerging concern, pathogens and antimicrobial resistance in the water cycle. All EU actions are closely aligned with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidance, and dialogues are established at political and technical level with manufacturing countries outside the EU, offering opportunities to raise concerns regarding the impact associated with the production of pharmaceuticals, especially antibiotics. We will, of course, continue to address pharmaceuticals in the environment in very concrete actions and the various upcoming deliverables under the European Green Deal, like the chemicals strategy and the zero—pollution action plan, and also under the upcoming pharmaceutical strategy, which my colleague Stella Kyriakides is preparing for the end of the year. Also, the farm—to—fork strategy, presented earlier this year, includes an important target. To reduce by 50% by 2030 the overall EU sales of antimicrobials for farmed animals and in aquaculture. Furthermore, in the follow-up to the evaluation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, we are looking at ways to tackle micropollutants, including pharmaceuticals, which still pass through our waste water treatment plants. All these are concrete examples that illustrate the progress we are making to alleviate the impact of pharmaceuticals in the environment. The issue will remain high on our political agenda, and I can reassure you that we will continue to pursue our efforts together with you, with Member States and with the industry, and, of course, with the professionals, to stay on track and make the necessary progress using both legislative and non—legislative means. I look forward to working very closely with you on this crucial topic.