November 2005

The 2005 Annual Network Conference was organised in collaboration with the Polish Ecological Club. The conference enabled participants to assess problems and opportunities in CEECs food sector regarding pesticide use and consumer awareness; to facilitate exchange of experiences on best practices for controlling and reducing use of pesticides; and to explore ways to foster constructive participation by public interest groups and citizens in legislative processes at the national and the European level.

- Full programme [PDF 57KB]
- List of participants [PDF 40KB]

POSTERS

"The model of Integrated Monitoring of Pesticides", Daniel Lesinsky, CEPTA (Centre for Sustainable Alternatives)/Friends of the Earth Slovakia [PDF 487KB]

PANEL 1: WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

Chair: Maria Staniszewska, Polish Ecological Club, Poland

• Keynote presentation, Wieslaw Podyma, Vice-Director of the Department of Plant Breeding and Protection, Ministry of Agriculture, Poland [PDF 431KB]
• Welcome, Carina Weber, PAN Germany, Chair PAN Europe [PDF 163KB]
• EU enlargment and agriculture: risks and opportunities, Martin Konecny, Friends of the Earth Europe [PDF 172KB]

PANEL 2: HEALTH AND CONSUMER AWARENESS

Chair: Carina Weber, PAN Germany, PAN Europe Board

• Latest research and recommendations regarding endocrine disrupting chemicals, Ragnor Pedersen, Centre for Toxicology- London School of Farmacy, United Kingdom [PDF 188KB]
• Health and organic products, Janina Sokolowska, Polish Ecological Club, Poland [not available]
• Pesticide residues - The right to know, the must to reduce, Susanne Smolka, PAN Germany, PAN Europe Board [PDF 420KB]
• Women's risks, Valentina Pidlisnyuk, Sustainable Development and Ecological Education Centre, Ukraine [PDF 6,74MB]

PANEL 3: OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FOR PESTICIDE DEPENDENCY REDUCTION IN AGRICULTURE

Chair: Daniel Lesinsky, Centre for Environmental Public Advocacy, Slovakia

• "Problems in Polish plant protection", Prof. Stefan Pruszynski, Institute of Plant Protection, Poland [PDF 1,15MB
• "Implementation of agri-environmental achemes limiting use of pesticides in Poland", Msc Tomasz Motyka, Agriculture Advisor, Ministry of Agriculture, Poland [PDF 1,27MB]
• "The experience of organic farming in Czech Republic", Renata Osladilova, Pro-Bio, Czech Republic [PDF 2,71MB]

PANEL 4: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF PESTICIDES IN CEECS

Chair: Ewa Hajduk, Polish Ecological Club

• "Obsolete pesticide problems in Poland", Msc. Stanislaw Stobiecki, Institute of Plant protection, Poland [PDF 872KB]
• "Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) remaining in the environment of the Baltic Sea - temporal trends and present conditions", Phd Grazyna Sapota, Poland [PDF 6,21MB]
• "Water pollution derived from pesticides in the Black Sea", Emma Gileva, Black Sea Environmental Network, Bulgaria [PDF 68KB]

PANEL 5: WORK AT THE EUROPEAN AND NATIONAL LEVELS TO PREVENT PESTICIDES IMPACTS

Chair: Stephanie Williamson, PAN UK, PAN Europe Board

• "New European pesticide policy: a chance to reduce problems?", Catherine Wattiez, Inter Environment Wallonie, Belgium [PDF 93,4KB]

PROJECTS AND CAMPAIGNS ACROSS EUROPE

• "POPs in Armenia: dealing with pesticides' hazards", Emma Anakhasyan, Armenian Women for Health & Healthy Environment, Armenia [PDF 1,14MB]
• "Campaigning for reducing pesticide impacts on human health in Ukraine", Lew Gerbilsky, Green Doctors- ISDE Ukraine [PDF 14KB]
• "Obsolete pesticides in Ukraine", Tatiana Stefanovska, Sustainable Development and Ecological Education Centre, Ukraine [PDF 3,77MB]
• "Baltic Ecological Recycling Agriculture and Society", Ewa Hajduk, Polish Ecological Club, Poland [PDF 4,94MB]
• "Lobby and PR on obsolete pesticides in Bulgaria", Valentina Lukova, Ecoglasnost, Bulgaria [PDF 4,73MB]
• "Two examples of campaigns by MDRGF in France", Nadine Lauverjat, Mouvement pour les Droits et le Respect des Generations Futures, France [PDF 789KB]

DISCUSSION GROUPS

Four discussion groups looked at specific initiatives, tactics and campaigns for pesticide and biocide reduction, including government, private sector and NGO initiatives. Different organisations shared experiences, key ‘ingredients’ for success and important lessons and discussed how these could be adapted elsewhere. Each group setted the scene with short presentations on European level overview and specific experiences. The aim was to contribute with ideas, objectives and a work programme for future working groups in each theme under PAN Europe umbrella and identify organisations and individuals who can participate in the new working groups.

GROUP A - FOOD: AGRICULTURE, SUPERMARKETS, CONSUMERS

Chair: Stephanie Williamson, PAN UK, PAN Europe Board

• "Opportunities under CAP review", Martin Konecny, Friends of the Earth Europe [not available]
• "Local farmers' experience", Janusz Sliczny, organic farmer, Poland [not available]
• "Work with supermarkets and retailers", Luigi Guarrera, Associazione Italiana per l'Agricoltura Biologica, Italy [PDF 207KB]
• "Consumers' right to know", Susanne Smolka, PAN Germany, PAN Europe Board and Halina Kacprzak, Polish Ecological Club, Poland [not available]

GROUP B - HEALTH: GETTING RIDE OF OBSOLETE AND HAZARDOUS PESTICIDES

Chair: Greta Goldenman, Milieu, Belgium

• "Addressing obsolete pesticides in the framework of EU legislation", Greta Goldenman, Milieu, Belgium [PDF 88KB]
• "Role of NGOs in environmental risk communication: look from Ukraine, Lew Gerbilsky, Green Doctors- ISDE Ukraine [not available]
• "People's pesticide exposure", Alison Craig, PAN UK [PDF 16,4KB]
• "Does European legislation protect our health", Catherine Wattiez, Belgium [PDF 64KB]

GROUP C - BIOCIDE USE: COUNTRY SURVEYS AND REDUCTION STRATEGIES

Chair: Gergely Simon, Clean Air Action Group, Hungary

• "The most important biocides to phase-out in Europe", Roslyn Mckendry, PAN UK [PDF 133KB]
• "Survey on home use biocides in Hungary", Gergely Simon, Clean Air Action Group, Hungary [PDF 1,45MB]
• "Biocides in Netherlands: environmental problems and campaigning for a ban", Hans Muilerman, Stichting Natuur en Milieu, Netherlands, PAN Europe Board [PDF 57,3KB]
• "Biocides use in home and garden in Bulgaria: problems and needs", Valentina Lukova, Ecoglasnost, Bulgaria [PDF 1,18MB]

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the European Commission – DG Environment, The Sigrid Rausing Trust and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency.