Press releases
Press Communication
Brussels, 18/04/2019
Parliament urges the Commission to take regulatory action on EDCs without delay
Today, PAN Europe and the civil society[1] applaud the European Parliament for standing by the European citizens and adopting a resolution that addresses a long-known concern: daily exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may cause harm to ourselves, our children, the environment and all its species.
A world’s water day worthy of its name: Protecting our waters from pesticides
Water is essential for life. Yet, intensive agricultural practices release tons of pesticides into our water resources every year putting the aquatic environment and all life that depends upon it at great risk. The fact that just 40% of the water tested in Europe is in ‘good ecological status’, is a disgrace.
Today marks the first day of “Pesticide Action Week” (1), a ten-day celebration of activities for a pesticide-free world. On this day, Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe urges EU Member States and the European Commission to take the first step and ban all non-agricultural uses of pesticides.
The European Parliament has today adopted an own initiative report on the implementation of the EU Directive on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides (SUD). PAN Europe welcomes the vote and emphasises that this report can help to speed up implementation of the Directive, which is long overdue.
Europe must urgently improve its pesticide authorisation system to ensure protection from harm caused by pesticides is the message sent by the European Parliament today, who adopted the PEST Committee report calling for independence, objectivity, transparency and better use of science in the whole procedure. This is a milestone in the long-needed pesticide risk assessment reform in Europe, highlights PAN Europe.
In an effort to re-build citizens’ trust, today a great majority of Members of the European Parliament voted in favour (526 in favour, 66 against) of the PEST Committee report that highlights the shortfalls of the current pesticide authorisation system and calls for substantial improvements in the process to ensure that pesticides used in agriculture and management of green/urban areas cause no adverse effects to humans, animals and the environment, as the EU law demands.
A new White Paper, coordinated by Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe and produced by a group of 24 experts from the field of pesticides, risk assessment, human and environmental health identifies the many shortfalls in the safety assessment of pesticides in Europe that lead to dangerous substances being used in open spaces.
