Press releases
Today, 11 global civil society and Indigenous Peoples organizations representing small-scale farmers, agricultural workers, trade unions, and rights holders urged Mr. Qu Dongyu to begin his new term as Director General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on a positive note by ending a controversial partnership with the pesticide industry signed during his previous term, and taking leadership on global action to phase-out Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs).
The European Commission has acted behind closed doors and already presented a draft glyphosate renewal report[1] to Member States, according to a leaked document received by PAN Europe. A proposal for reapproval of glyphosate's license is now expected in September despite all the toxicity issues raised by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Paradoxically, EFSA will publish the background documents that led to its conclusions only in October.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) today gave shocking positive advice to move forward with the prolongation of the use of Europe's most widely used herbicide glyphosate despite a series of data gaps and outstanding issues. In its conclusions, it highlights that the potential genotoxicity of impurities and consumers risk assessment remained incomplete. The potential of glyphosate products to cause developmental neurotoxicity and harm the microbiome and biodiversity is clearly recognised.
Today, the European Commission published its new legislative proposal to deregulate new-generation GMOs, the so-called "New Genomic Techniques" (NGTs). PAN Europe considers that the "solutions" proposed by the industry through NGTs are merely wishful thinking. They are the same kind of deceptions as we observed earlier with conventional GMOs. The NGT patents that are in preparation are herbicide-resistant crops, which would lead to a huge increase in pesticide use. This proposal goes against the will of citizens and violates the precautionary principle.
The European Parliament has sent a clear signal on the need to curb water pollution by voting in support of measures that will improve monitoring and help guide action.
MEPs on the Environment Committee supported new substances including a group of 24 PFAS, several pesticides and, for the first time, pharmaceuticals to be added to the lists of EU pollutants that require Member States to monitor and control the presence of these substances in surface and groundwater.
Farmers, citizens and nature in the EU are not properly protected from the negative impacts of dangerous pesticides. Recently The Guardian, Le Monde, Der Spiegel and other media reported on chemical companies withholding studies on the neurotoxicity of the pesticide substances for which they seek market approval. Keeping dangerous products on the market, harming people’s health. European parliamentarian Canfin compared it to 'Dieselgate'. This withholding of information appears to be just the tip of the iceberg.
Green Deal is to preserve a sustainable future for the next generations and farmers
EU Member States agreed to a proposal to ban one of Europe’s most toxic pesticides. The fungicide dimoxystrobin was authorised for use in 15 EU Member States. Pesticide Action Network cheers the decision. It is one of ‘The Toxic 12’ that now has gone down to 10. However, the decision should have been taken 7 years ago.
45 million loaves of bread. That was the argument of a conservative Austrian politician to allow crops on use areas destined for nature and biodiversity. One year later we see the results. Hardly any human food, only animal feed was grown. We lost 40% of the Ecological Focus Areas in the EU. Now the same 'hunger game' is played by the EPP to stop the urgent pesticides reduction. Fake arguments are pushed in the name of farmers. It only makes farmers more dependent on the agrochemical industry and it harms health and biodiversity.
PAN Europe welcomes the new EU Guidance Document on the risk assessment of pesticides on bees. After 10 years of political blockade, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published an updated version of this guidance. It confirms that an urgent upgrade of the way pesticide toxicity is assessed in the EU is needed. PAN Europe supports a quick implementation of the guidance at EU- and national-levels.
