Briefings

An independent legal opinion commissioned by PAN Europe, foodwatch and the Veblen Institute concludes that the EU practice of allowing residues of banned pesticides in imported food is highly questionable from an EU law perspective. Today, residues of more than 88 hazardous pesticide substances banned in the EU are still permitted in imported food.

The EU Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) establishes a legally binding framework to halt biodiversity loss and restore degraded ecosystems across terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, agricultural, and urban landscapes. Achieving its objectives, however, requires directly addressing one of the principal drivers of ecological decline: the harmful impact of chemical pesticides.

PAN Europe welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the European Commission’s call for evidence on the revision of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The WFD is a foundation of EU water environmental legislation, aiming to (i) prevent the further destruction of European water ecosystems and (ii) achieve a good status for European waterbodies. In doing so, it safeguards healthy water ecosystems, protects human and environmental health, and promotes climate resilience. 

Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the call for evidence on the evaluation of the Biocidal Products Regulation  (EU) 528/2012 (BPR) .

The Commission’s proposal for a “food and feed safety omnibus” seriously weakens the EU's current pesticide rules, which aim to protect health and the environment.

The European Commission’s leaked draft proposal for the ‘food and feed safety omnibus’ proposes significant weakening of the approval and authorisation system for active substances and pesticide products in place under the current Pesticide Regulation (1107/2009). The most prominent and alarming proposal is the shift toward unlimited approvals and authorisations, except in narrowly defined cases.

The European Commission’s Vision for Agriculture and Food proposes easing market access for biological control substances (biocontrol). PAN Europe welcomes more capacity for biocontrol risk assessment and optimised approval procedures to foster their availability. Biocontrol is an important alternative enabling the phasing out of harmful pesticides.

Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the call for evidence for the “Food and feed safety - simplification omnibus”’.

In July 2025, the Commission proposed the long-term budget (multi-annual financial framework (MMF)) for 2028–2034, which includes the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). [1] Rather than effectively supporting farmers to transition to future-proof farming, the post 2027 CAP proposal represents a major setback in the need level playing field for EU farming rules. Providing excessive flexibility to member states will very likely drive a race to the bottom.

PAN Europe welcomes the opportunity to provide comments on the EFSA’s Draft statement on consumer health-based guidance values on trifluoroacetic acid.