Briefings

November 2024

NGO recommendations for trilogue negotiations on the Soil Monitoring Law

Healthy soils are essential for life, providing the foundation for 95% of the food we eat. They filter and store water, help plants grow and are critical to the long-term resilience and stability of farmer’s livelihoods, especially in the face of increasing extreme weather events. Currently, over 60% of soils are undergoing degradation processes.

September 2024

NGOs recommendations for revised lists of priority substances for surface and groundwater

Aquatic ecosystems are home to a wide range of species and are vital for society and economic activities, yet they are under immense pressure from anthropogenic impact. More than 20 years after agreeing on the EU’s main water law, the Water Framework Directive, only one-third of Europe’s surface water bodies are in good chemical status. While the reported status of groundwater is slightly better, large regional differences reflect varied levels of monitoring efforts among Member States.

April 2024

PAN Europe’s feedback on Commission’s public consultation: European Food Safety Authority - evaluation of performance 2017-2024

PAN Europe highlights that EFSA being strictly independent as an EU scientific agency is crucial for decisions on protecting health and the environment from pesticides. Known risks from synthetic pesticides include cancer, endocrine disruption and neurodegenerative diseases, even at low doses. In 2009, the EU enacted Regulation (EC) 1107/2009 to prevent exposure to harmful pesticides and protect the environment.

April 2024

Residues of EU-banned pesticides in EU food: What the law really says about double standards

The EU Pesticide Regulation (1107/2009) is, in theory, one of the strictest regulations in the world. To guarantee a high level of protection, it requires that pesticides and their residues have no harmful effects on human health and animal health and no unacceptable effects on the environment. While many potentially harmful pesticides are still on the EU market, others got banned from the EU food production thanks to this strict regulation’s requirement.

February 2024

Toxic Harvest: Ban PFAS pesticides

While it is now notorious that PFAS are used in diverse consumer products (such as frying pans, textiles, food packaging etc), it is less well known that PFAS pesticides are intentionally sprayed on food crops. Yet, food is a systematic and direct route of exposure to PFAS pesticides for citizens. 37 pesticide active substances approved in the European Union are PFAS according to EU regulators. Some are persistent themselves and others break down into persistent metabolites, such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA).

January 2024

A PAN Europe briefing on the assessment of safeners and synergists in view of the European Commission’s draft Regulation

“Plant protection products – data requirements and gradual review of safeners and synergists.”

Summary : According to EU Regulation on Pesticides (Reg. (EC) 1107/2009), pesticides placed on the EU market should have no harmful effects to human and animal health and no unacceptable effects to the environment (Art.1 & 4). This concerns pesticide products and all their ingredients including active substances, safeners, synergists and co-formulants.

December 2023

PAN Europe contribution to the EC public consultation on the assessment of safeners and synergists

The Pesticide Network Europe (PAN Europe) welcomes the European Commission’s long overdue (9 years) draft Regulation defining data requirements for the approval of safeners and synergists and establishing a work programme for the gradual review of safeners and synergists in the EU market. This is crucial to eliminate the discrepancies in methodologies and level of protection that exist between Member States when assessing safeners and synergists.

November 2023

Beneath the orange fields: Impact of Glyphosate on soil organisms

Glyphosate is the active substance of the most used pesticide (herbicide) products globally: glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs). They are used widely to kill plants, leading to their widespread presence in our ecosystems, surroundings and bodies.

July 2023

Stop the export of EU-banned and hazardous pesticides

The Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe supports the European Commission's intention to present legislative measures aimed at prohibiting the production and export of chemicals that have been banned in the European Union due to their hazardous properties. This is in line with its commitment under the European Green Deal and specifically the Chemical Strategy for Sustainability, towards a toxic free environment, where Europe shows global leadership in the protection from hazardous chemicals and promotion of sustainable practices. 

July 2023

Joint statement on the publication of the EC proposal for a Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience

We, the signatories of this statement, welcome the European Commission’s proposal for a Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience (Soil Monitoring Law). Unfortunately, the proposal in its current form will not enable the achievement of healthy soils in the EU. The change of the name of the legislation, which was originally planned to be called ‘Soil Health Law’, is symbolic of its lack of ambition and its shift away from soil health towards largely soil monitoring.

© Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe), Rue de la Pacification 67, 1000, Brussels, Belgium, Tel. +32 2 318 62 55

Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe) gratefully acknowledges the financial support from the European Union, European Commission, DG Environment, LIFE programme. Sole responsibility for this publication lies with the authors and the funders are not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.