From Evidence to Policy 2: Toward ToxFree Consumer Products

Conference
24th September 2026 Ljubljana

Presenting results from the regional monitoring of endocrine-disrupting substances in products and discussing future intervention opportunities.

About the event

Every day, European citizens encounter a complex mix of chemicals hidden inside ordinary consumer products, highlighting an urgent need for systemic change to protect public health and the environment. To address this challenge, the ToxFree LIFE for All project cordially invites you to an in-person event dedicated to bridging the gap between science, European policy, and public health.

Bringing together top regulatory authorities and experts from Slovenia,leading environmental scientists from Central Europe and Europe, the event will showcase evidence on market chemical safety monitoring, explore vital insights from human biomonitoring, and present the latest research on endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Finally, we will discuss „the way forward”—how healthcare professionals, NGOs, and consumer groups can collaborate to turn scientific evidence into stronger safety measures and actionable advice for citizens.

Conference

Date: 24th September 2026
Time: from 9 AM to 1 PM
Venue: City Hall, Slovenia Mestni trg 1, Ljubljana, Rdeča dvorana (1st floor) 
Registration Deadline: 21st September, 2026

Sessions

Harmful substances in products

This session focuses on the physical marketplace, revealing what comparative laboratory testing of consumer products tell us about the hidden chemicals inside ordinary goods. Experts will dissect the chemical safety profiles of cosmetics, and unveil data-driven results from the ToxFree LIFE for All project’s recent product tests on several hundreds of products from Central and Eastern Europe from underwear through pacifiers to headphones and UV shirts.

Additionally, the presentations will demystify the „ecolabel universe,” showcasing how robust EU Ecolabel criteria can effectively address chemical safety and provide consumer transparency. The session will also highlight groundbreaking regional data gathered from human biomonitoring initiatives.

Health and Policy Implications 

Moving from raw data to direct action, this session focuses on policy frameworks and human health impacts. Speakers will examine what is at stake regarding the upcoming European policy changes and discuss high-level regulatory efforts—specifically highlighting the restriction of CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic for reproduction) substances in childcare articles. The session will bridge these policies with medical insights, exploring how everyday exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) alters human physiology and establishing the advice healthcare professionals can give to safeguard citizens.

Agenda

09:00 – 09:15 | Welcome, Registration & Light Refreshments 

09:15 – 11:00 | Harmful substances in products 

Chemical safety of cosmetics – Stine Muller, Forbrugerrådet Tænk (Denmark) 

ToxFree LIFE For All project testing campaign results and conclusions – Birgit Schiller PhD (Verein für Konsumenteninformation, Austria), TBC

The ecolabel universe: how the EU Ecolabel criteria addresses chemical safety  – Natalija Očko, Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning (Slovenia) 

Human biomonitoring project in Slovenia – Dr. Milena Horvat, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute (Slovenia) 

Questions & Answers (Q&A)

11:00 – 11:15 | Coffee Break

11:15 – 13:00 | Health and Policy Implications

The EDCs exposure from everyday products and its health implications – MD Klára Matoušková, MPH, Ph.D. (Czechia) 

The Work of the Slovenian Chemicals Office – Challenges and a Look to the Future. More information about proposed Regulation about CMR in Childcare Articles – Chemicals Office of the Republic of Slovenia

Changing chemical policy landscapes – what is at stake – Pelle Moos, BEUC (The European Consumer Organisation) 

Questions & Answers (Q&A)

Speakers

Stine Muller

Chemical expert, Forbrugerrådet Tænk (The Danish Consumer Council), Denmark

Stine Müller is a Project Manager at Forbrugerrådet Tænk Kemi with over 15 years of experience with unwanted chemicals in consumer products, including children’s products, cosmetics & detergents, food contact materials etc. Alongside the work on chemical testing of products, she also has extensive experience in communicating complex chemical topics to consumers and other stakeholders.
Stine has a background in toxicology and risk assessment from DTU’s National Food Institute, and an MSc in Biology. 

Tanja Očko

Representative, Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Slovenia 

Tanja works at the regulatory forefront of environmental policy in Slovenia. Her work focuses on navigating European environmental criteria and standardizations, with specific expertise in how the EU Ecolabel framework acts as a practical mechanism to phase out or strictly address chemical issues in commercial products.

Dr. Milena Horvat

Dean of the Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School & Head of the Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia

Dr. Horvat has headed the Department of Environmental Sciences since 1997. Her vast interdisciplinary expertise spans analytical chemistry, human health, and the evaluation of polluted environments. Widely recognized for her landmark international research, she spearheads human biomonitoring efforts in Slovenia to understand the true impact of pollutant exposure across populations.

Pelle Moos, PhD

Senior Advisor, BEUC (The European Consumer Organisation)

Pelle Moos is a principal advocate for chemicals policy and product safety at BEUC in Brussels. He actively works on behalf of European consumer groups to influence EU-wide chemical criteria, pushing for strict, group-based bans of hazardous materials and highlighting consumer vulnerabilities regarding upcoming policy steps like the Chemical Omnibus.

MUDr. Klára Matoušková, MPH, PhD

Medical Expert & Environmental Scientist, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Czechia

Klára holds a medical degree from Charles University, a Master of Public Health from the UK, and a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her scientific research focuses explicitly on endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Currently, she creates interactive educational tracks for medical professionals and coordinates university coursework evaluating the direct impacts of ecological crises, microplastics, and anthropogenic chemicals on human metabolic and hormonal health.

Registration


Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. LIFE22-GIE-HU-ToxFree LIFE for All, 101114078. Co-funded by the Hungarian Ministry of Energy (Z1230232)

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