Dear friends,
The EU has just blocked our access to many herbal medicines, and already some household remedies are being taken off the shelves.
A new EU Directive came into force this week that erects high barriers to any herbal remedy that hasn't been on the market for 30 years -- including virtually all Chinese, Ayurvedic, and African traditional medicine. The EU Commission itself has recognised this is an over-regulation that will needlessly restrict consumer choice, but has done nothing to change it.
We need a massive outcry against this. Together, our voices can press the EU Commission to amend the directive, push our national governments to refuse to apply its excessive standards, and support a legal case that is challenging this regressive regulation. Sign below, forward this email to everyone, and let's get to 1 million voices to save herbal medicine:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_herbal_medicine_ban/97.php?cl_tta_sign=952df5397bd0de16a947fa58dbea5c5e
It's hard to believe, but if a child is sick, and there is a safe and natural herbal remedy for that illness, as of this week it may be impossible to find that cure.
The EU says the new rules respond to several public health incidents involving herbal products that were applied incorrectly. Their stated goal is to protect consumers, but while regulatory oversight of herbal remedies is important, this new directive significantly reduces the number of products available to consumers, and practically drives out non European traditions, while doing little more to protect people from harm than the prior regulatory set-up. Three years ago EC itself recommended improvements to the directive to make it less prohibitive of Chinese and other non European traditions, but even their own suggestions have been ignored.
The Directive also creates major barriers to manufactured herbal remedies, costing up to 100,000 euros to acquire licenses, years of effort, and long expert processes to get each and every product approved. And research shows that it was the over the counter medicine group, AESGP that lobbied hard to push through the most restrictive elements of the legislation. Pharmaceutical companies have the resources to jump through these hoops but hundreds of small- and medium-sized herbal medicine businesses will not, and consumer choice will be seriously restricted.
We can stop this. The directive has been passed in the shadows of the bureaucracy, and it cannot stand under the light of democratic scrutiny. The EU Commission can amend it, and a court case in Britain is currently challenging it to do so. If European citizens everywhere come together now, it will give legitimacy to the legal case, and add to growing pressure on the Commission. Sign below, and forward this email to everyone, and Avaaz will deliver the petition when we reach one million signers:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_herbal_medicine_ban/97.php?cl_tta_sign=952df5397bd0de16a947fa58dbea5c5e
Natural medicine deserves adequate regulation, but this heavy-handed directive harms the ability of Europeans to make safe and healthy choices. Let's stand up for our health, and our right to choose safe herbal medicine.
With hope and determination,
Ricken, Iain, Giulia, Benjamin, Alex, Alice, Pascal, Luis and the rest of the Avaaz team.
PS. Feel you need a greater understanding of this to sign on -- read our response to concerns here: http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_herbal_response_to_concerns. The Alliance for Natural Health Questions and Answers also has useful questions and answers:
http://www.anh-europe.org/news/frequently-asked-questions-about-eu-herbal-registrations-and-bans
SOURCES:
EU herbal medicines law set for legal challenge:
http://www.euractiv.com/en/health/eu-herbal-medicines-law-set-legal-challenge-news-503563
EU concerns on the Directive:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0584:FIN:en:PDF
European Union directive to ban natural remedies in favour of pharmaceuticals:
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8826364-european-union-directive-to-ban-natural-remedies-in-favor-of-pharmaceuticals
Traditional Chinese medicine firms may face delisting in EU market:
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/7343301.html
EU crackdown on herbal 'remedies':
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/eu-crackdown-on-herbal-remedies-2628345.html
Värnar du din rätt så skriv under!!!!!
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