In a landmark decision on 12 March, EU Member States adopted the European Commission's proposal to ban the endocrine-disrupting PFAS pesticide flufenacet. PAN Europe applauds this decisive action, which aligns with the EU's requirement to protect human health and the environment. We, however, stress the importance of taking comprehensive action on PFAS pesticides and ensuring that farmers do not turn to similarly problematic substitutes.
Flufenacet is a per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) and an endocrine disruptor, which can negatively impact brain development, placing pregnant women and newborns at unnecessary risk. The substance also degrades into trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a highly persistent and highly mobile PFAS contaminant that has infiltrated Europe’s water systems, including some of the most pristine natural water sources.
Salomé Roynel, Policy Officer at PAN Europe, commented: “We strongly welcome this decision as a critical step towards safeguarding human health and the environment from PFAS. This is a significant first step. Flufenacet is one of the most widely used PFAS pesticides and TFA emitters in our water resources. It is widely used in cereal-producing agriculture. We now urgently need a ban on all PFAS pesticides to avoid replacement with equally problematic substances.”
In France, Bayer has already announced a plan to replace Flufenacet with a new mix of herbicides containing diflufenican, the second most sold PFAS pesticide.
Flufenacet has been approved since 2004 for over 20 years due to repeated prolongations and delays from the pesticide industry to provide safety data. It is primarily used as an herbicide on winter crops such as wheat, barley and rye and is currently authorised in 25 Member States. Recently 49 NGOs sent a letter to the Commission urging for its ban.
No ban on flutolanil yet
For another PFAS pesticide and TFA emitter flutolanil, the discussions have been stalled. The Commission’s proposal for non-renewal based on its potential to contaminate our water resources with TFA, was not presented for a vote. The Commission acknowledges that TFA is toxic for reproduction and therefore the renewal of flutolanil does not comply with the legal requirements of EU law.
“We regret that discussions on flutolanil were stalled due to a lack of sufficient support from Member States. All PFAS pesticides have to be banned to ensure the protection of water resources and the health of EU citizens,” added Salomé Roynel.
Members of the EU Parliament ask for PFAS pesticide ban
Last week, 50 Members of the European Parliament wrote to the European Commission to express their support for the ban of both flufenacet and flutolanil and urged it to take further action to achieve a complete ban of PFAS pesticides.
For further information on this issue and PAN Europe’s work on pesticide regulation, join our roundtable event next week. And see our previous communications:
- Ban PFAS Pesticides and TFA
- EU SCoPAFF meeting: the end of PFAS pesticides? | PAN Europe
- EU Commission Proposes Ban of PFAS pesticide Flufenacet | PAN Europe
- Top-Selling PFAS Herbicide Flufenacet Confirmed Harmful by EFSA: 49 Environmental Groups Call for Emergency Ban | PAN Europe
Contact: Salomé Roynel, Policy Officer at PAN Europe, salome [at] pan-europe.info, +32 2 318 62 55
