Background

The SCALE initiative, launched by the European Commission, presents a systematic approach to the development of a European Environment and Health Strategy. Its aim is to assess and minimize adverse health effects due to environmental pollution. It comprises the build-up of information systems as well as the compilation of adequate political measures.

It is based on Scientific evidence, focused on Children, meant to raise Awareness, improve the situation by use of Legal instruments and ensure a continual E valuation of the progress made.

To facilitate an efficient working process, priority topics have been chosen and attributed to three Technical Working Groups (TWGs). These are in part subdivided into smaller groups and provided with differentiated mandates. The TWGs are:

• TWG on Indicators and priority diseases
  (Subgroups Environment and Health Indicators; Respiratory diseases, neurodevelopmental diseases and childhood cancer)

• TWG on Integrated Monitoring
  (Subgroups Biomonitoring of children; Pilot projects on Dioxins & PCBs, Heavy Metals, Endocrine Disrupters)

• TWG on Research Needs

Origin, purpose and proceeding of the project are described on several pages that can be acceded via the left-hand navigation bar.

Procedure

The Technical Working Groups proceed along a two-step roadmap: 

The first step consists of the compilation of existing activities, problems and chances for progress. Step 1 results will be compiled in the Baseline Report by December 2009. 

Options for action will be developed in a second step. Recommendations justified by the outcomes of step 1 will be submitted to the Commission, who will thereby be enabled to establish the "Action Plan 2004-2010", as a contribution to the Fourth Ministerial Conference on "Environment and Health" in Budapest.