Press releases

De Raad van State heeft de beroepen tot nietigverklaring van Nature et Progrès en PAN Europe tegen toelaten van veboden pesticiden toegewezen. Dit maakt een einde aan het gebruik van zaden die omhuld zijn met neonicotinoïden, pesticiden die zeer giftig zijn voor bijen - en dus voor ons voedsel. Sinds 2018 is het gebruik van deze stoffen op Europees niveau verboden.

The EU Member States did not reach a qualified majority to reapprove the licence for glyphosate In the SCoPAFF meeting today. PAN Europe welcomes the decision. Gergely Simon, Senior Policy Officer at PAN Europe, says: “This is an important signal. It does right to the concerns of a majority of Europeans about the impact of pesticides on health and environment. A wide range of independent scientists have expressed their concerns and their studies show serious negative effects of glyphosate use.

The EU Member States did not reach a qualified majority to reapprove the licence for glyphosate in the SCoPAFF meeting today. PAN Europe welcomes the decision. Gergely Simon, Senior Policy Officer at PAN Europe, says: “This is an important signal. It does right to the concerns of a majority of Europeans about the impact of pesticides on health and environment. A wide range of independent scientists have expressed their concerns and their studies show serious negative effects of glyphosate use.

European citizens are highly concerned about the use of pesticides and its effect on health and the environment. This is shown in a survey in six member states of the European Union - Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, Romania and Spain. The survey was conducted by the European Public Affairs team of the market research agency Ipsos and published by the Pesticides Action Network (PAN) Europe.

All recent science needs to be taken into account

Threat of re-approval based on misinformed risk assessment

The EU Commission's proposal to renew the authorisation for the herbicide glyphosate is published today (1). The proposal is for 10 years, so if a qualified majority of Member States agree, glyphosate use in the EU would be allowed until 2033. This would be in stark contrast to the will of the Europeans. Five years ago 1 Million citizens formally asked for a ban and a recent IPSOS opinion poll in 6 EU countries shows that only a mere 14% of citizens agree with prolonged use.

85 social and environmental organisations urge Ursula von der Leyen and the European Commission to hold true to the European Green Deal commitment to ensure that hazardous chemicals banned in the EU will no longer be produced for export.[1]

Today, the European Parliament approved new quality standards for surface and groundwater and sent a clear message on the need to curb water pollution in the EU.

A vast majority of MEPs (495 of 631) across all political groups voted in favour of the Environment Committee’s position to update the list of surface and groundwater pollutants against which chemical status under the Water Framework Directive is assessed.

Scientists show how two EU regulatory agencies failed to fulfil their role as foreseen in EU pesticide law. A new scientific study reveals that ECHA dismissed important carcinogenicity findings and neglected evidence that glyphosate induces oxidative stress, a recognised mechanism that can lead to cancer. EFSA in its conclusion wrongfully relied on ECHA's classification of glyphosate as 'noncarcinogenic'.