Reports

March 2021

Biomonitoring of pesticides in hair: How veterinary drugs contaminate human hair

EMA opens the gates to hazardous pesticides

Brussels, Utrecht, 30 March 2021 - Forty-seven pesticides were detected in human hair samples taken from 21 volunteers in the Netherlands. The findings of our new report [LINK] mainly concerned harmful insecticides that are banned in agriculture such as Fipronil, Permethrin and DEET, but still authorised for treatment of pets against fleas and ticks or authorised as a biocide. These veterinary chemicals and biocides are the most likely source of hair contamination. 

March 2021

Consumer Guide 2021: Endocrine Disrupting Pesticides in Your Food

Consumers are advised to avoid exposure  to endocrine disrupting pesticides (EDPs), which can be found  as pesticide residues in conventionally-grown fruit and vegetables. Due to their harmful effects on human health, the EU banned EDPs twelve years ago.  However, they are still abundantly present in food and other items sold in (super)markets. 

January 2021

Member States against EU pesticide reduction

An access to documents request carried out by PAN Europe showed that, behind closed doors, Member States are revealing their real positions on the EU Green Deal: Only one Member State is willing to engage in the 50% pesticide reduction target (as proposed by the European Commission, but measured in a completely inappropriate way).

Find out more in the report

September 2020

Banned and Hazardous Pesticides in European Food

PAN Europe carried out an investigation to find out whether pesticides banned in the EU [according to 1107/2009 and PIC legislation1] are detected in food sold on the EU market, using the EU official food pesticide residue monitoring data.

Highlights:

June 2020

REFIT of the Pesticide (EC 1107/2009) & Maximum Residue Limits in food (EC 396/2005) Regulations: PAN Europe's observations

The REFIT evaluation is a big disappointment. Commission claims that the pesticide Regulation has been effective to fulfil its goals “to a large extend”. However, no evidence is provided to assess whether the purpose of the Regulation to ensure a high level of protection of both human and animal health and the environment has been fulfilled. The claim is unsubstantiated [see point 1, ‘Pesticide policy- effective?’].

April 2020

Mapping good agronomic practices and alternatives to pesticides in Europe - a presentation by PAN Europe and IBMA

Integrated Pest Management means moving away from killing towards managing pest populations. Integrated Pest Management (IPM), if applied correctly, is a sustainable way to protect crops based on applying good agronomic practices to enhance plant resilience, the forecasting and monitoring of pest population development and the use of mechanical as well as biological alternatives to synthetic pesticides. Synthetic pesticides are then only used as a last resort in pest control.

December 2019

Identification of endocrine disrupting pesticides: Trapped in a vicious circle

The current EU policy to test if a pesticide is an endocrine disruptor (altering the function of human and animal hormonal system) is far from being implemented. Endocrine disruption is a serious health concern that could lead to reproductive effects, cancer, brain damage and a range of other diseases. PAN Europe’s survey on the approval decisions of 33 pesticide active substances in Europe revealed that in 31 cases no relevant testing -specific to assess endocrine disruption- was requested from industry.

December 2019

Activity Report 2019

October 2019

Carcinogens in our food: Pesticide metabolites with (un)known carcinogenic potential end up in our food

October 2019

DG SANTE's prolongation policy

In 2008 EU Commission health service DG SANTE started its notorious program to allow 88 banned pesticides acces to the market again, the so-called “Resubmission". Many of the most toxic pesticides such as Metam-sodium, Malathion,  Bromuconazole, Bifenthrin, Prochloraz, etc. were approved mainly on political grounds and because of the threat of massive industry-sponsored court cases.

© 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.