UNEP supports EU Dioxin Action

[Neil Tangri <ntangri@essential.org>]

>From: uneprona@un.org
>Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 10:27:04 -0400
>Subject: UNEP supports EU Dioxin Action
>MIME-Version: 1.0
>To: "undisclosed-recipients:;"
>
>UNEP PRESS RELEASE
>
>UNEP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SUPPORTS EU ACTION ON DIOXIN-CONTAMINATED
>FOOD, CITES NEED FOR GLOBAL MEASURES
>
>NAIROBI, 4 June 1999 -- Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of the
>United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), lauded the European
>Union's call for action to identify and destroy poultry products
>contaminated with dioxin. At the same time, Mr. Toepfer underscored
>the seriousness of the health and environmental concern for many
>regions of the world, which experience dioxin contamination but are
>unable to take adequate measures.
>
>"It is important and right that countries in the European Union
>take steps to monitor the food supply and identify problems such as
>the dioxin-contaminated poultry products", Mr. Toepfer said.  "But
>the great majority of the world's population is not in that
>position, and it is equally important that all countries be able to
>take the needed protective measures."
>
>A report due late next week from UNEP provides a snapshot of
>available information on dioxins and furans, the unintended toxic
>by-products of many industrial and combustion processes.  It
>presents data from 15 national and regional inventories of
>polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans
>(PCDD/PCDF), mostly in Western Europe and North America.
>
>"Developing countries typically lack the capacity to identify and
>respond to sources of releases of dioxins and furans to the air,
>water and soil", Mr.Toepfer observed. "However, dioxins travel long
>distances far from the source.  They accumulate in living species,
>becoming increasingly concentrated in fatty tissue as they move up
>the food chain.  They are ultimately passed on through breastmilk
>to the next generation of living beings.  This must stop."
>
>Responding to the need for global action, UNEP is bringing
>Governments together to negotiate a legally binding international
>agreement to reduce and/or eliminate releases and discharges to the
>environment of 12 persistent organic pollutants, or POPs, including
>dioxins.
>
>"I am confident", Mr. Toepfer said, "that countries will reach
>agreement on a POPs treaty by the year 2000, the deadline in the
>mandate set by the UNEP Governing Council. It is an essential line
>of defence against POPs for future generations."  The next round of
>talks is set for 6-11 September 1999 in Geneva, Switzerland.
>
>In advance of the treaty, UNEP is working to help developing
>countries and countries with economies in transition to build the
>capacity to identify sources of dioxins and reduce or, where
>possible, eliminate their releases to the environment.
>
>"Agencies like EU and the World Health Organization have a vital
>role to play in protecting public health and the environment from
>dioxins in food", Mr. Toepfer said. "UNEP has a vital role to play
>in helping reduce dioxin releases into the environment and so to
>ensure that these safeguards never have to be triggered."
>
>
>                             *******
>
>Note to journalists: Official documents and other information on
>the POPs negotiations are available on the Internet at
>www.chem.unep.ch/pops/.
>
>For more information, contact James B. Willis, Director, UNEP
>Chemicals, at tel: (+41 22) 917 8183; fax: (+41 22) 797 3460;
>e-mail: chemicals@unep.ch; or Linda Durkee, Policy and
>Communications Advisor, UNEP Chemicals, at tel: (+41 22) 917 8511;
>fax: (+41 22) 797 3460; e-mail: ldurkee@unep.ch.
>
>UNEP News Release 1999/65





--

Neil TANGRI