Pesticides have a major health and environmental impact. Obviously, it is therefore essential that health and environmental ministers and policymakers take the lead on pesticide-related policies. In reality, however, in most countries, solely or mainly agricultural ministers and policy units make decisions on pesticides. This is problematic, as it leads to pesticide policies which largely ignore the immense destructive impact of current pesticide use on both ecosystems and health. A broad coalition of organisations ask the Belgian health minister to take the lead in pesticide discussions. A nice example that could be used in other countries.
The widespread presence of pesticides in our environment is one of the most pressing environmental and health issues. Pesticides are found everywhere: in soil, vegetation, water, air, nature areas, on playgrounds, and in our homes and bedrooms. Their impact, therefore, goes far beyond where they are applied. Exposure to pesticides is associated with a wide range of diseases, including types of cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. The number of Parkinson's patients has increased significantly in recent years - experts speak of a Parkinson's pandemic, and a link to pesticides.
Pesticides are also one of the main sources of endocrine disruptors: an assessment estimated that the majority of health costs related to endocrine disruptors are estimated to be due to pesticide exposure. Pesticides have a far-reaching detrimental impact on biodiversity, water and soil quality. This undermines citizens’ health as well: healthy ecosystems are the essential foundation for our physical and mental health and well-being.
National policy makers have been failing to effectively reduce pesticide use and risk, and implement the obligations of the EU Directive 2009/128/EC on the sustainable use of pesticides and EU Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 concerning the placing on the market of pesticides, e.g.:
- Sales of pesticides have remained relatively stable, while pesticide use and risk need to be ambitiously reduced to protect citizens’ health and protect and restore ecosystems.
- Integrated Pest Management, based on preventative measures with the least possible impact on health and the environment, with pesticides only used as a very last resort, has been mandatory since 2014. However, it is hardly implemented.
- Surface-, ground- and drinking water, nature and citizens need to be protected against pesticides, according to these legislations. In reality, pesticides are found everywhere: they exceed thresholds in our waters, drive biodiversity collapse and are found in dust in our bedrooms.
Many shortcomings in the assessment of pesticides
In addition to the extensive shortcomings in the assessment of pesticide active substances at EU level, the risk assessment of pesticide products at national level is characterised by fundamental shortcomings. For instance, the chronic toxicity of pesticide products is mostly not assessed, although this is an obligation under EU legislation. Relevant literature and more recent studies are systematically not taken into account.
In the Netherlands, for example, this already led to the pesticide authorities needing to revise the authorisation of certain pesticide products, after legal action. In groundbreaking rulings of 2024, the EU Court of Justice declared that the way EU Member States carry out risk assessments and authorisations of pesticide products is not in line with legislation. The EU Court of Justice underlined, referring to EU legislation, that all available recent scientific and technical knowledge needs to be taken into account, and that chronic effects, such as endocrine-disrupting properties, need to be tested. The Court also repeated that the precautionary principle has to be followed, and it must be ensured that pesticide active substances or products placed on the market do not adversely affect human health. A high level of protection for human and animal health and the environment must be established.
According to EU law, active substances and pesticide products which are excessively toxic to humans and/or the environment cannot be authorised. However, due to major shortcomings in risk assessment and authorisation processes, in reality, citizens and the environment are and have been continuously exposed to very toxic substances, which remain on the market for years.
Belgian health minister asked to raise his voice on pesticides
The abovementioned major shortcomings leave citizens, the environment and biodiversity unprotected from the destructive impact of pesticides. It is therefore urgent and key that health and environmental ministers take up a central role in pesticide policies. Belgian Health and Environmental organisations have written a statement to ask the Belgian Minister of Health, Frank Vandenbroucke, to raise his voice on pesticides. According to Belgian law, the Belgian Minister of Health has the right to ‘co-decide’ on pesticide-related matters. However, during the previous legislature, the minister did not apply this right, due to a protocol agreement made with the Belgian minister of agriculture. The organisations ask the Minister of Health to now use his co-decision right and take ambitious action on pesticides.
Pesticides are preeminently a Public Health issue and of great social relevance. Citizens deserve a healthy living environment. Through various platforms, they expressed demands for ambitious policies and effective protection from pesticides. In the successful European citizens' initiative “Save bees and farmers”, more than a million signatures asked for ambitious reductions of pesticides. It is essential that EU health and environmental ministers take their responsibility, and respond to these clear calls of citizens and science.
The statement addressed to the Belgian Minister of Health was signed by PAN Europe, de Landsbond der Christelijke Mutualiteiten, de Landsbond van de Onafhankelijke Ziekenfondsen, Kom op tegen Kanker, KickCancer, Vlaamse Parkinson Liga, SSMG Cellule Environnement, Nature et Progrès Belgique, Natuurpunt, Natagora, Bond Beter Leefmilieu, Velt, Vogelbescherming Vlaanderen, Dryade, de West-Vlaamse Milieufederatie, Canopea, Pomona and Broederlijk Delen.
At the beginning of the legislative period in February, the organisations sent a letter asking the Minister of Health to take on his co-decision right on pesticides. The new Belgian government is now 100 days on its way. Until now, no clear reaction has been received. Therefore, the organisations reiterate their call.
The organisations provided the following quotes:
Kristine De Schamphelaere, PAN Europe: "The health of citizens and ecosystems is our highest good. The blanket of pesticides covering our entire environment, even our bedrooms, should keep health ministers awake. The huge environmental and health impacts and costs of pesticides are deflected onto society. Decisive policies that ambitiously reduce pesticide use and risk are essential."
Luc Van Gorp, Christian health mutuality/public health insurance fund: “Not only lifestyle, biological factors and the quality of our healthcare have an impact on our health, the environment we live in also plays an important role for the health and quality of life we experience. To make that environment healthier, we must take all possible steps to reduce pesticide use, sooner rather than later."
Noah Janssen, Natuurpunt: “Pesticides end up in water, soil and air. The impact on pollinators such as bees or butterflies is huge. Their numbers are declining alarmingly. We will also feel this in our food production. But birds, fish and mammals also pile up the poison. And finally, humans do not escape either. We are paying the price for so-called crop protection in the form of acute and chronic diseases. When will the minister’s penny drop?”
Xavier Brenez, Independent Health Insurance Funds: “Pesticides are not just an agricultural or environmental issue. It is an issue where a ‘Health in all policies’ approach is necessary. We count on Minister Vandenbroucke's vote to better protect public health from the impact of dangerous chemicals. Our health must always take precedence over economic interests.”
Ellen Geerts, Vlaamse Parkinson Liga: “More and more scientific research shows that pesticide exposure may play a role in the development of parkinson's disease. This also makes pesticide policy an important public health issue. The Flemish Parkinson's League therefore advocates that the health minister has a seat at the table in decisions on pesticide use to protect the health of current and future generations.”
Geert Gommers, Velt: “It is unacceptable for citizens to be exposed to pesticides that are endocrine disruptors or have a negative impact on our reproduction. Even our bedrooms, where we spend most of the day, are no longer free of harmful pesticide cocktails. Citizens deserve effective protection.”
Céline Bertrand, Cellule Environnement de la Société Scientifique de Médecine Générale (SSMG Cellule Environnement): "We refuse to allow health, and in particular children's health, to be sacrificed on the altar of agro-industrial prosperity. Today, the negative externalities of the agro-industrial complex are borne by society. The costs in terms of impact on health are colossal. The epidemic of chronic diseases (cancers, neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, etc.), in addition to all the suffering it causes, is impoverishing the community."
Bart Vanwildemeersch, West-Vlaamse Milieufederatie: “People are worried about their drinking water. We need to restore confidence and this can only be done by avoiding harmful pesticides. Therefore, selective authorisation for pesticide use in drinking water abstraction areas is very important.”
Virginie Pissoort, Nature & Progrès: “The issue of pesticides goes far beyond agricultural practices. There is abundant scientific evidence of their toxicity to our health, and to that of farmers themselves. It is not for nothing that, since 1994, the Minister of Health has had the power to co-decide on marketing authorisations for these products. This power was relinquished during the previous legislature, but Minister Vandenbroucke must shoulder his responsibilities and exercise his power of co-decision in this area. This is also entirely in line with the “One health” vision so dear to Belgium.”
Lore Pil, Kom op tegen Kanker: “Reducing exposure to pesticides is a crucial step in cancer prevention. Choosing a healthier environment, with fewer harmful chemicals, protects not only one's own health but also that of future generations.”
Dries Verhaege, Dryade: “The use of pesticides affects agriculture and public health. It is therefore logical that both competent ministers should speak out about market access.”
Agnes Wené, Vogelbescherming Vlaanderen: “Look at it through the eyes of a wild animal. Their habitat is literally poisoned. Pesticides cause birds and other wild animals to find less food, because there are fewer insects, fewer herbs and fewer seeds. Pesticides also cause health problems. Birds become disoriented, eggs do not hatch and young are born dead or with complications. This can and must change. Not only our animals, but also we humans benefit from a pesticide-free habitat.”
Heleen De Smet, Bond Beter Leefmilieu: “If Minister Vandenbroucke is serious about the health of the Belgians, he will also take responsibility for the pesticides dossier. The health risks of pesticides are too serious to ignore — will he choose to repair health damage or will he tackle the problem preventively at the source?”
Agathe Defourny, Canopea: “48.5 million euro: that's the estimated annual cost of pesticides on the healthcare system in France. What about in Belgium? Reducing pesticides means reducing the pressure they exert on the environment, health, and budgets.”
Suzy Serneels, Broederlijk Delen: “A minister of health must ensure that people can live in a healthy environment, here and elsewhere. Harmful pesticides do not belong there. Minister Vandenbroucke signed the Royal Decree to no longer export dangerous pesticides that are banned in Europe to other countries. We count on him to also take responsibility for stopping pollution here.”
Gaëtan Seny, Natagora: “Pesticides undermine entire ecosystems on which our agriculture and our health depend. Public health must urgently take precedence over the interests of the agrochemical industry. Without biodiversity, there can be no sustainable food supply or human health. The absence of the Minister of Health in this debate is unjustifiable.”
Further reading:
- Statement: Belgian Health and Environmental organisations call on Minister Vandenbroucke to raise his voice on pesticides - Dutch version and French version
- Letter to Belgian Minister of Health - Dutch and French version
- Fact sheets: Impact of Pesticides on Human Health, Impact of Pesticides on Biodiversity, Citizens’ demands for Pesticide Reduction in Europe
- EU Court: member states do not properly carry out pesticide assessments
- Advocate General in EU Court: Pesticide authorisation by Dutch CTGB is wrong
- PAN successfully challenges pesticide product authorisation - major implications
