June - December 2003
1. PAN Europe activities
PURE Campaign
We held a successful high-profile policy
conference on Reducing pesticide dependency in Europe to protect
human health, environment and biodiversity, on 20 November
in Copenhagen. The conference attracted 68 academics, regulators,
farmers, private sector companies including water companies and
NGOs, from 18 countries, including 27 officials from MS and EU agencies
in 15 existing and Accession MS. Expert speakers from research,
regulation and the private sector exchanged practical experiences
in: the new toxicology underlying low-dose, chronic exposure and
combination effects; the existence of a sufficient level of proof
to apply the precautionary principle; direct and indirect effects
of pesticides on biodiversity; new findings on pesticide mixtures
and glyphosate; usage reporting; practical implementation of IPM/ICM;
the Commission’s progress on its pesticide Thematic Strategy
; and efforts from farmers, retailers and industry in pesticide
reduction programmes. It highlighted the achievements of the Danish
Pesticide Use Reduction programme, using the Treatment Frequency
Index as a reduction target and success indicator. The conference
proceedings will be available on the PAN Europe website soon and
some presentations feature in March 2004 issue 63 of Pesticides
News.
As of December 2003, 87 organisations from 29 European countries
have signed up to our PURE campaign.
Networking
PAN Europe held its annual network conference 21-22 November,
also in Copenhagen, attended by 47 people from 18 countries. Presentations
included Prof. Dominique Belpomme from the French cancer therapy
association ARTAC delivering a key note speech on the increasing
proportion of cancers related to pesticide exposure; capacity-building
on how to lobby effectively at European Parliament and Council levels;
national NGO experiences on campaigning for pesticide reduction;
and an inspiring talk by Poul Henning Petersen of the Danish Agricultural
Advisory Service on practical work with Danish farmers to reduce
the frequency of applications on their farms. Participants discussed
strategies and activities for the coming year under the themes of
biodiversity; regulation and control; agriculture and supermarkets;
health, food and water and exchanged experiences on NGO actions
on pesticide disposal and persistent organic pollutants and opportunities
under the PIC and POPs conventions.
PAN Europe also took part in the capacity-building workshop for
Central & Eastern European NGOs, organised by FoE Europe entitled
EU ACCESSION and AGRICULTURE: Making CAP work for people and the
environment", held in Krakow, 7-8 November. Pesticide use and
PAN Europe’s PURE demands were discussed in sessions on Will
Accession country farmers use subsidy to buy pesticides? and Agriculture
& Environmental standards. We joined 208 NGOs signing up
to the Krakow Declaration for safe, sustainable farming in the enlarged
EU, with support for local food systems and farming livelihoods.http://www.foeeurope.org/events/krakow/
Lobby action against paraquat
The joint NGO lobby efforts (Swedish Society for Nature Conservation,
PAN Europe and European Environmental Bureau) against inclusion
of paraquat in Annex I of Directive 91/414 continued, with letters
to all Member State Agriculture and Environment Ministers in June
and an open letter to Ministers and the Health and Consumer Protection
Directorate of the European Commission in September, pointing out
new research linking paraquat exposure with development of Parkinson’s
disease (PAN Germany’s summary document on the Parkinson’s
connection available at http://www.pan-germany.org/download/fact_paraquat.pdf).
Friends of the Earth and the international trade union representing
agricultural workers, IUF, also joined these lobby actions. Despite
this strong civil society coalition and opposition from certain
Member States, the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal
Health voted on 3 October to approve paraquat inclusion, as proposed
by the Commission. Sweden, Denmark, Finland. Luxembourg and Austria
voted against, while the Netherlands abstained.
The Commission Directive 20003/112/EC gives the decision details,
including important restrictions on uses which pose unacceptable
risks (you can find this on the website of the Official Journal
of the European Union at http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/oj/.
Look for L321/32, published on 06.12.03). Unfortunately, paraquat
manufacturer Syngenta and distributors in developing countries,
notably Malaysia, have used the EU decision to argue that this means
a green light for paraquat use, ignoring the operator protection
measures and risk assessment and avoidance measures for aquatic
organisms and birds. Our coalition wrote again to the Commission
in November to draw attention to misleading advertisements in the
Malaysian press claiming that paraquat no longer poses a danger
to health,
and IUF press released their objections against Syngenta’s
efforts to get the Malaysian government to drop its ban on the pesticide.
2. News and Information
New additions to Annex I approved active ingredients
More than 22 active ingredients were approved for use at EU level
between May and December under the evaluation process of directive
91/414. These included the herbicides mecoprop; mecoprop-p*; propyzamide*;
paraquat*; carfentrazone-ethyl; dimethanamid-p; flufenacet; flurtamone;
iodosulfuron; mesotrione; molinate* and isoxaflutole*, the fungicides
propineb*; propiconazole*; thiram*; ziram*; trifloxystrobin; fenamidone;
picoxystrobin; and silthiopham; and the nematicide fosthiazate*.
Those marked with an asterisk are classified as Bad Actors by PAN
North America due to one or more properties of high acute toxicity,
carcinogenicity, reproductive or developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity,
or groundwater contaminant status (see the PANNA Pesticides database
for information active ingredients http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Index.html).
The EU recognises that risk mitigation measures are needed for several
of these, e.g. groundwater contamination for molinate, and member
states are advised to monitor acute exposure of consumers to ziram.
Molinate is being phased out in the US. The fungal biopesticide
Coniothryium minitans, for use as a soil treatment against sclerotinia
disease, was also approved, the second biopesticide to be included
in Annex I.
Goodbye to atrazine, simazine and others
In October the Standing Committee on Food Chain & Animal Health
voted against granting further approval to these two triazine herbicides
widely used in maize and other crops, due to concerns for groundwater
contamination. However, some “essential use” derogations
were accepted, including use of atrazine on sweetcorn and forestry
and simazine on some vegetables and ornamentals in UK, which will
allow use up to December 2007. http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/approvals.asp?id=338
News of the exclusion of atrazine came at the same time as the reports
of the UK farm-scale evaluations of environmental impact of GM crops
including maize, in which GM-maize had been favourably compared
with conventional maize using atrazine. This comparison is now irrelevant.
The organophosphate insecticide fenthion and insecticide/acaricide
amitraz were excluded from EU level approval. The UK succeeded in
getting essential use derogation for amitraz on pear trees post-harvest.
Pesticide pollution of European waters continues
to cause concern
The latest report from the European Environment Agency on European
waters highlights the need to reduce agricultural impacts if good
status of ground and surface waters are to be achieved. While there
has been an overall decrease in pollution by heavy metals and phosphates
due to improvements in industry practice, diffuse pollution from
agricultural has remained steady. In terms of hazardous chemicals,
presence of endocrine disrupting compounds is an emerging concern
and sexual disruption of aquatic animals is reported by several
countries. Pesticide contamination of water sources is problematic
for much of western Europe, including France, Germany, Belgium,
Denmark, Netherlands, Italy and UK. EEA points out the limited monitoring
data on pesticide concentrations in water, the lack of reliable
and comparable data at European level and the fact that monitoring
is not carried out in all countries. On existing data, EEA conclude
that contamination of surface and ground water occurs at levels
of potential concern for drinking water supply and adverse effects
on aquatic organisms.
New Danish Pesticide Action Plan 2004-2009
The government plans to reduce further the Treatment Frequency Index
from its 2002 level of 2.04 to 1.07 by 2009. However, PAN Europe
partner Danish Ecological Council believes that this goal is rather
weak since a new report shows that economically optimal use is 1.7
and a further reduction to 1.4 could be achieved without changes
in crops or special costs. Ecological Council is pushing for a target
of 1.7 by 2005 and 1.4 by 2008. The new plan will include market
garden crops, fruit and home and garden use for the first time,
as well as goals to reduce pesticide residues in Danish food to
the lowest levels possible. There will be more focus on protecting
ground and surface water. The Ecological Council points out that
the previous plan to protect 20,000ha of surface waters (40% of
lakes and water bodies) only reached 8,000ha. The new target is
for 25,000ha protected but the NGO says that 75,000ha is achievable,
if set-aside (non-cultivation) is placed along water bodies, in
addition to 10m buffer strips.
Pesticides pollute 50% of Swiss groundwater
In August, the Swiss Environment Agency reported that agricultural
pesticides were found at more than half of the country’s 390
monitoring stations. Pollution levels exceeded permitted norms at
several sites. The most commonly found were herbicides, with the
highest concentration at 1.87microg per litre. The agency is only
able to test for 88 of the 350 pesticides authorised for use in
Switzerland, due to budget constraints. While downplaying acute
toxicity concerns for human health, the agency is concerned about
the potential long-term effect of contamination and stressed the
need for minimising contamination, taking a precautionary approach.
Increase in pesticide treatment frequency
in France and water pollution
The latest Agriculture Ministry report for the period 2001 documents
significant increases in recent years. For example, soft wheat on
average received three more treatments per season than in 1994.
Picardy topped the national pesticide intensity table for this crop,
with an average of 9 applications.
The French Environment Institute (IFEN) fifth annual report on pesticides
in water reveals that pesticides were found in the majority of monitoring
sites sampled in 2001. 73% of surface water sites and 57% of groundwater
sites contained at least one active ingredient, at levels which
could disrupt aquatic ecosystems or exceed permissible thresholds
for drinking water. 159 different active ingredients were identified
in surface waters and 144 in groundwater, of which triazine herbicides
and their breakdown products were by far the commonest. Glyphosate
and amino-triazole were often found too, although poorly studied
in general. In coastal waters, organochlorines were noted. There
are still many gaps in usage data and firm conclusions could not
be drawn on overall trends or potential risks. http://www.ifen.fr/pestic/2003/pestic2003.htm
Spray frequency and number of products used
in UK arable crops increased in last decade
The latest usage survey from the Central Science Laboratory sampled
1,123 farms for the growing season autumn 2001-harvest 2002, around
5% of total arable area. Compared with figures from 1992, despite
a 9% decrease in the area of arable crops, there was a 25% increase
in pesticide-treated area but a 2% reduction in weight of pesticides
applied. Average number of sprays applied to each crop increased
from four to more than five over the decade, and number of products
used increased from seven to ten. Most extensively used herbicides
were glyphosate, isoproturon, fluroxypyr, and diflufencan/isoproturon.
Most extensively used fungicides included epoxiconazole, azoxystrobin,
tebuconazole and trifloxystrobin. Pyrethroids accounted for 87%
of insecticide-treated area, carbamates 7% and organophosphates
4%. Herbicides and dessicants accounted for 34% of total pesticide-treated
area, fungicides another 34%, seed treatment 10%, insecticides and
nematicides 10%, growth regulators 10%, molluscicides 3% and sulphur
for less than 1%. Arable crops in Great Britain 2002.
Pesticides in Dutch air and precipitation
Monitoring at 18 sampling stations during 1999-2001recorded 50 different
pesticides. The concentration of 17 of these exceeded maximum permissible
levels (MPL) for surface water and 22 exceeded the standard for
drinking water. Dichlorvos and chlorothalonil were observed above
the MPL in more than 20% of samples. Pesticide input from the atmosphere
to Dutch inland waters appeared to be as large as inputs from other
sources such as spray drift. Although atrazine has been banned in
the Netherlands since 1999, it was still recorded in the atmosphere,
suggesting that external sources from Belgium, France and elsewhere
may be responsible. Similarly, non-authorised trifluralin and DNOC
were also found. The findings indicate the need to consider long-range
transport of pesticides in the risk assessment process.
…and in Poland
Seventeen pesticides were studied in precipitation in the conurbation
of Gdansk, Poland during 1998-2000. Of these the most commonly detected
were simazine, atrazine, propazine, fenitrothion, chlorfenvinphos,
á-HCH, DDT, DDE and DDD. Compared with elsewhere in Europe
or North America, concentrations were at the lower end of the spectrum
reported, probably reflecting the less intense use of pesticides
in Poland. Pesticide sources probably included garden and forestry
applications, as well as farming, and handling and distribution
of pesticides from a garden supply store. The city location and
prevailing winds would favour atmospheric transport from the region
of application to the Gulf of Gdansk and Baltic Sea.
Herbicides affect salt marsh ecosystems in England
Concentrations of atrazine and simazine within the ranges present
in aquatic ecosystems in eastern England were found to reduce photosynthetic
efficiency and growth of microscopic and higher salt marsh plants.
Sublethal concentrations resulted in decreased sediment stability
and indirectly to lower photosynthesis via sediment blanketing on
leaves. These factors could have adverse effects on plant productivity
and over winter survival of salt marsh plants and support the hypothesis
that sublethal concentrations play a role in increased erosion of
saltmarsh in the last 40 years.
3. News from PAN Europe partners
Management and Disposal of obsolete pesticides
in Belarus
Considerable quantities of obsolete pesticides have been accumulated
and stored on farms or landfills throughout the republic of Belarus
during the last 30 years. During the period 1974-1988, approximately
4,100t of pesticides waste were landfilled on seven locations in
various parts of Belarus, including compounds known to be possible
carcinogenic to humans, persistent and highly accumulative. Since
the technical conditions of the landfills in many cases seem to
be inadequate, they can cause contamination of water resources,
and thereby pose a risk to environment and public health. Landfilling
of pesticides was banned in 1988.
About 1, 500t of obsolete and banned pesticides have accumulated
elsewhere since 1988, stored on approximately 2, 500 farms and waste
storage facilities. Since many of these stores are not built and
equipped to ensure for safe storage of pesticides and the packaging
of pesticides often is in poor condition, they pose a threat to
the environment and public health. The serious situation demanded
urgent and radical measures to be taken and a joint Belarussian-Danish
project “Management and Disposal of Accumulated Obsolete Pesticides
in Belarus” implemented a pilot project repacking pesticides
at the warehouse of supplier Slutskaya Selkhozchemistry in 2002,
where about 350 tons of obsolete pesticides were stored. The second
phase started in 2003 repacking pesticides in Grodno region with
630 tons stored. This phase will include meetings between local
authorities, NGOs and journalists. PAN Europe member Ecosphere Belarus
is planning a seminar for farmers and local NGOs with specialists
from Ministry of Agriculture.
New publications on pesticides in Central
and Eastern European countries
PAN Germany, in collaboration with NGO partners in CEEC, has published
four useful and detailed studies on Pesticides in Central and
Eastern European Countries: Usage, Registration, Identification
and Evaluation. Part 1 covers Poland, Part 2 Hungary, Part
3 Czech Republic and Part 4 Slovenia. These can be downloaded at
http://www.pan-germany.org/english.htm
Conference proceedings “Pesticide Use
Reduction in IPM and Organic Agriculture”
Proceedings of this joint MDRGF/PAN Europe/Picardy Organic Farming
Association colloquium, held 31 May 2003, Beauvais, France, in French
or English versions on CDRom can be obtained from MRDGF at a cost
of 12.50 Euro. An order form is on the website http://perso.wanadoo.fr/francois.veillerette/
NGO planning for WHO Ministerial conference
on Environment and Health
70 representatives from 29 countries met in December 2003 under
the auspices of PAN Europe partner European Public Health Alliance
and European Eco-Forum to discuss demands and proposals to European
governments in the run-up to the 4th Ministerial The Future
for our Children, taking place in Budapest 23-25 June 2004.
A Brussels statement was prepared by the strategy meeting, highlighting
key concerns on the ministerial declaration and Children’s
Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE). Pesticides
in water and food are one of the missing gaps and NGOs are calling
for a phase-out of hazardous pesticides, pesticide reduction via
legislation for PURE, systematic application of the substitution
principle, rapid implementation of the POPs convention and inclusion
of lindane and endosulfan as POPs. The Brussels statement can be
found at http://www.healthy-planet-forum.org/
the website for the parallel NGO and civil society forum in Budapest,
along with details of how to take part in this event.
Direct action in France against Union of Plant
Protection Industries for bee deaths
French partner Movement for the Rights and Respect for Future Generations
(MDRGF) collaborated with beekeepers and Confederation Paysanne
to demand the immediate withdrawal of Regent and other fipronil
products as well as Gaucho and other imidacloprid products. Earlier
in 2003 the Food Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture (DGAL)
indicated that sudden death of bees observed in the south of the
country had been caused by acute toxicity of fipronil. The report
of the Scientific and Technical Committee multifactor study on bee
troubles published in September concluded that treatment of sunflower
seed with Gaucho posed a significant risk for bees. Activists protested
outside the offices of UIPP in Boulogne on 11 December, hanging
banners on the building and talking to journalists. Pictures and
more info on MDRGF activities can be found at their website http://perso.wanadoo.fr/francois.veillerette/
Belgian NGOs raise public awareness of pesticide
problems
In July 2003, four environmental organisations in Belgium, Inter
Environnement Wallonie, Inter Environnement Bruxelles, Bond Beter
Leefmilieu and Brussels Environment Association (BRAL) launched
a press campaign aimed at people using pesticides in their home
and garden and at supermarkets. This included a press conference,
2 interviews on the national TV news and on a radio station for
young people. A web site has been designed with information on pesticides
and health, dangers of pesticides currently used and alternative
methods. Supermarkets in Belgium are ranked according to their willingness
to stop selling pesticides products, actively inform people about
alternatives and about their interest in developing organic food
sales. Carrefour, Colruyt and Delhaize are the top three while Lidl
and Aldi are at the bottom. The site also lists major garden supply
chains. www.pesticide.be
PAN UK holds first Rachel Carson Memorial
lecture
To mark International Day of No Pesticide Use on 3rd December, PAN
UK’s first Rachel Carson Memorial lecture was privileged to
listen to renowned biologist and toxics campaigner Sandra Steingraber,
PhD. Her compelling talk Contaminated without consent: Why our
exposure to chemicals in air, food and water violates our human
rights is now available at http://www.pan-uk.org
The PAN Europe Newsletter is compiled by Stephanie Williamson, Contributions are welcome from PAN Europe network members and individuals.
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