PAN Europe enthusiastically applauds the decision by Italy’s Ministry of Health to place a number of restrictions on the use of Glyphosate, one of the world’s most ubiquitous pesticides.
The Italian restrictions ban the use of Glyphosate in areas frequented by the public or by "vulnerable groups" including children and the elderly. The list of banned areas includes parks, gardens and courtyards, the edges of roads and railways, urban areas, sports fields and recreational areas, playgrounds and green areas within the school buildings, and areas adjacent to health facilities.
In addition, the pre-harvest use of Glyphosate--a process known as desiccation--is banned. The desiccation of crops by spraying glyphosate is a primary source for residual pesticide contamination at the consumer level. Finally, the non-agricultural use of glyphosate is banned on soils composed 80% or more of sand--a measure designed to protect groundwater from contamination.
This package of restrictions is significant as it marks one of the largest bans on both consumer and agricultural use of the controversial substance glyphosate. The restrictions were inspired by the new Implementing Regulation 2016/1313 issued by the European Commission on 1 August, which requires in particular that Member States encourage the development and introduction of integrated pest management and approaches or alternative techniques to reduce dependency on the use of pesticides
PAN Europe welcomes this decision by Italy’s Ministry of Health and encourages other governments across Europe to adopt similar measures.
PAN Europe works to eliminate dependency on chemical pesticides and to support safe sustainable pest control methods. PAN Europe is committed to bringing about a substantial reduction in pesticide use throughout Europe. Pesticide (including biocides) reduction is a prerequisite for improvements of public and workers health, protection of the environment, and its strict implementation is in line with the precautionary principle.
See also the version in Spanish.
Contact: Timothy Eden, tim [at] pan-europe.info
