Press releases

138 civil society, scientific, water, and farming organisations across Europe have called on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to fully enforce the EU Pesticide legislation.

Today, EU lawmakers listened to citizens and science and rubber-stamped the deal on the Soil Monitoring Law, the EU’s first-ever law on soil health, after months of negotiations. Despite severe shortcomings of the endorsed text, this is an important milestone towards addressing Europe’s crisis of soil degradation. Its success will depend on impactful implementation.

Today, the General Court of the EU clarified in a judgement that EU Member States are required to demand toxicity data for co-formulants used in pesticides. The absence of such data in the pesticide industry applications must inevitably lead to a rejection of the request and a suspension of the national authorisation.

Het Pesticide Action Network vraagt in een spoedprocedure bij het College van Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven (CBb) een verbod op gebruik van het bestrijdingsmiddel Pitcher met een hormoonverstorende stof in de open lucht. Het wetenschappelijk bewijs voor schade aan de gezondheid is overtuigend, maar Ctgb laat het middel zonder beperkingen toe. De instantie werd in dit dossier al eerder op de vingers getikt door het Europees Hof en daarna ook door het CBb, de hoogste bestuursrechter in Nederland voor dit soort zaken.

Today, on World Food Day, PAN Europe and Friends of the Earth Europe publish a new report, showcasing farmers and municipalities successfully eliminating or minimising pesticide use. The impressive and inspiring work of these farmers, and many others, should encourage policy-makers to support and ensure the wide uptake of ecologically sound practices and the phase out of harmful pesticides.

The European Commission recently announced it was initiating an infringement procedure against Romania for granting derogations to bee-toxic neonicotinoid insecticides [1]. This is the first time ever, the European Commission launches an infringement procedure against a Member State on the abuse of the 'emergency authorisation' system. The procedure is based on a ruling from the EU Court won by PAN Europe in 2023, where the EU’s highest court said that no derogations can be given to a pesticide that is banned for health or environmental reasons.

Three NGOs, PAN Europe, IFOAM Organics Europe and Global 2000, lodged a formal complaint before the European Ombudsman concerning the European Commission’s reliance on the Harmonised Risk Indicator 1 (HRI1) to measure use and risk of pesticides.

A new report by PAN Europe reveals how major chemical companies have systematically cast doubt on the toxicity of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), delaying urgently needed protective measures against one of Europe’s most widespread and persistent pollutants. 

‘Return to Sender’ is a new campaign launched today by the European coalition ‘End Toxic Pesticide Trade Coalition’ (1)  to hold the European Commission to account for letting the exports of banned, toxic pesticides from the EU  to the global South explode. This indefensible practice is impacting people’s health all over the world and violating human rights.

The EU institutions have reached a long-awaited deal on updated rules for pollution of EU surface and groundwater, but Member States have managed to delay and weaken obligations.

Yesterday, nearly three years after the European Commission proposed an update to the lists of pollutants that EU Member States must monitor and control in surface and groundwater, the EU institutions reached an agreement.