Press releases

During the AGRIFISH council meeting on 28 June, a vast majority of Member States have backed the proposal from the European Commission to set the acceptable level of pesticide harm to honey bee colonies at 10% mortality. While politicians claim the 10% agreement is a political success[1], PAN Europe believes this agreement will continue to damage European pollinators and insects in general. This is in opposition with the Biodiversity Strategy from the European Green Deal.

After having twice supported the Farm to Fork’s commitment[1][2] to review pesticides import tolerances, taking into account environmental aspects, the Council is now completely shifting away from its word in the CAP trilogue.This unacceptable U-turn could nip in the bud the NGOs call and the ongoing work of the European Commission to put an end to pesticides double-residues standards in food (e.g.

Dans le cadre d’une discussion traînant depuis 2013, la Belgique soutient une mortalité acceptable de 23% des abeilles, suite à une exposition aux pesticides. Par comparaison, la Suède, la France ou les Pays-Bas soutiennent un maximum de 7% acceptable. Le Ministre Clarinval place notre pays du côté des pays pro-pesticides, aux côtés de l’Espagne, de la Grèce ou encore de la Hongrie.

Ignoring cancer risks, a family of unstable pesticides was given flawed approval by a controversial EU food safety agency, according to our new report ‘EFSA, Science or Ideology?’. The substances could help explain rising rates of breast and prostate cancer. 

The webinar "Pesticide-Free Towns for a Pesticide-Free Planet", organized by Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe will have a multi-perspective approach and will be held today June 1st at 5 pm.

While European decision makers all claim we need to do more to protect bees and biodiversity, the latest developments in bees’ protection against pesticides shows us that decision-makers still give priority to agribusiness over protection of the environment. The Bee Guidance Document, Sulfoxaflor and Cypermethrin are some of the ongoing discussions at EU-level that tell us that Member States keep pushing for maintaining bee-toxic pesticides in our environment.

Today, the European Court of Justice has confirmed that the European Commission was entitled to ban the use of neonics on bee-attractive crops in 2013, in its jugement [1] on the appeal case opposing Bayer to the European Commission. The Luxembourg-based institution backed the use of the precautionary principle and that, even in case of uncertainty, the European Commission was entitled to make such restrictions.

Within the Italian province of South Tyrol, 32 different agricultural pesticides were detected on children's playgrounds. An international team of scientists strongly advises to take action for public health.

Reacting to the European Commission’s reply [1] to PAN Europe’s demand to ban the export of pesticides not approved in the European Union and the import of agricultural products made with those same pesticides, Angeliki Lysimachou - Science Policy officer at PAN Europe - said today: “PAN Europe welcomes the Commission’s commitment to put an end to the disgraceful practice of double standards and we look forward to seeing the EU taking leadership on the elimination of hazardous pesticides globally.”

New scientific information shows that Sulfoxaflor and Flupyradifurone, two new generation neonicotinoid insecticides approved in the EU in 2015, are more toxic to bees than initially thought. The Standing Committee on phytopharmaceuticals meeting of 3-4 December will discuss the future of these substances. While the Commission proposes taking action, some Member States are pushing to maintain these bee-toxic pesticides on the market, repeating a familiar scenario where Member States hamper the protection of pollinators...