Press releases

Leaked documents of the European Commission’s plans to reform the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) reveal that measures to protect the environment and public health have been severely watered down.

European food watchdog EFSA proposes to substitute the actual testing of chemicals with a fixed exposure figure. An adult can – according to EFSA – for most chemicals safely eat 90 microgrammes (µg) of a single chemical every day for his or her entire life, called the TTC (Threshold of Toxicological Concern).

Today the Standing Committee on Pesticides will decide on the proposal of EU health and consumer protection division DG SANCO for new pesticide safety testing (‘data requirements’).

Today, the new pesticide Regulation 1007/2009 enters in force. This marks the beginning of the new revolutionary system in which ‘cut-off’ criteria will be used in pesticide authorisation for the very first time. Up to now EU Commission used traditional risk assessment and was not able to ban a pesticide if industry resisted.

Germany and the UK have produced a joint position paper on how the criteria for endocrine disrupting pesticides need to be developed.

Time has come to round up glyphosate! The European Commission has delayed a planned re-assessment of glyphosate, a potentially harmful chemical used as a herbicide, to allow chemical companies a three-year extension to complete applications.

Environmental law organisation ClientEarth and Pesticides Action Network Europe (PAN Europe) have launched a case in the General Court of the European Union against the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

The newly published guidance on the use of science in pesticide approvals by European Food Standards Agency (EFSA) downgrades work by independent scientists in favour of industry studies.

New report of PAN-Europe on loopholes, derogations & backdoors in EU pesticide authorisations.

Today the decision on a non-inclusion in Directive 91/414 of the pesticide 1,3-Dichloropropene was published in the Official Journal.