Letters

Dear President von der Leyen,

We, the undersigned organisations, are urging you to call on the next Commission to make the transition to sustainable food systems a high political priority. The next Commission must uphold a holistic food systems approach to policy-making, relying on a multi-DG governance structure, and bring forth the long-awaited proposal for a legislative framework for sustainable food systems.

Dear Commissioner Kyriakides, 

With this letter, PAN Europe would like to bring to your attention the concerning findings of our report about PFAS pesticides in EU food ‘Toxic Harvest: the rise of forever pesticides in fruit and vegetables in Europe’ published yesterday. We urge you to take immediate action to address this source of PFAS exposure safeguarding the health of citizens and our environment. 

We, the undersigned 125 organisations, condemn the failure of the European Parliament, Council and Commission to deliver on a crucial element of the Green Deal: pesticide reduction. On February 6th 2024 the European Commission announced it would withdraw its proposal for the Sustainable Use Regulation (SUR), delaying by years urgently needed action to reduce the use and risks of synthetic pesticides in Europe. 

Dear Prime Minister De Croo,

We are appalled that today the Belgian Presidency of the EU is organising, alongside the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) and its Belgian industry member Essenscia, a closed event for chemical and other intensive industrial energy users and high-level political leaders at BASF’s chemicals plant in Antwerp.

On 1 February 2024, civil society organisations gathered in Brussels in front of the European Parliament in solidarity with peasants. In response to a call from the European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC) and the Belgian farmers’ union Fédération Unie de Groupements d’Eleveurs et d’Agriculteurs (FUGEA), organisations expressed their support for food sovereignty, organic agriculture, agroecology, peasant rights, and fair food prices.

Dear Ministers,

We write to you to express our deepest concerns regarding the proposal of the Commission to further extend the derogation to GAEC 8 under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Granting this derogation would go directly against farmers’, citizens’ and future generations’ interests. Preservation of biodiversity in agricultural areas, which has been collapsing at an alarming rate, is key to preserving the ecosystem services on which farming fully depends. 

Dear members of the PAFF committee,

On 30 and 31 January, you are invited to the EU Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed to discuss and/or adopt opinions on several proposals of the European Commission. In advance of this meeting, please find below PAN Europe's position on certain issues that relate to the protection of human health and the environment, for which we kindly request your particular attention.

Agenda issues:

Brussels, 19 January 2024 

Subject: ENVI Vote 24th of January 2024 - Deregulation of new GMOs opens the door for herbicide-tolerant and pesticide-producing plants - danger to health and environment 

Dear Member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, 

Dear Minister,

In view of the first meeting of the Working Group on the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products (SUR) proposal on 24 January, we would like to share our views on the importance of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and crop-specific rules (CS rules) in the Commission’s SUR proposal. IPM and CS rules are key for achieving reductions in pesticide use. 

Dear Ms. Bury,