Press releases
(Brussels, 20 October 2017) Last week, the French tribunal of Foix sent 4 prejudicial questions to the European Court of Justice, regarding the lack of reliability of the current EU pesticide risk assessment. This is a very timely event as the glyphosate debates raise identical issues. The answers from the European Court of Justice might lead to a major improvement of the safety of citizens and the environment in the EU.
A new research study[1] from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and two Dutch laboratories shows that 45% of Europe’s top soil contains glyphosate residues, demonstrating the over-reliance of the EU agricultural model on this harmful herbicide chemical. In contrast to what its manufactures[2] purport, glyphosate persists in soils affecting not only soil fertility and crop quality, but also human and environmental health.
The -soon available online- research study by the Dutch University of Wageningen and Rikilt laboratories, jointly with the JRC, reveals that among 317 EU soil samples of arable land, 42% contained AMPA, the most toxic metabolite of glyphosate, while glyphosate was found in 21% of the soils; 18% of the samples had both. The study was conducted in six crop systems along 11 EU member states comprising soils under different geographical and climatic conditions.
Commission's endocrine criteria proposal beyond legal mandate, EU Parliament decided.
Today 389 of the 694 members of the European Parliament voted against Commission's controversial proposal for criteria for endocrine disrupting pesticides. The Parliament, for the first time ever, used its tiny democratic right of "scrutiny" it has in this case, the right to block a Commission proposal. Commission now has to go back to the drawing board and change the proposal together with the representatives of the Member States in the Standing Committee.
Commission's endocrine criteria proposal beyond legal mandate, EU Parliament decided.
Today 389 of the 694 members of the European Parliament voted against Commission's controversial proposal for criteria for endocrine disrupting pesticides. The Parliament, for the first time ever, used its tiny democratic right of "scrutiny" it has in this case, the right to block a Commission proposal. Commission now has to go back to the drawing board and change the proposal together with the representatives of the Member States in the Standing Committee.
One third of European fruit contains 27 potentially harmful endocrine disrupting pesticides (EDPs), reported in scientific literature to disrupt the function of the hormone system in animals and probably in humans.
This is the shocking result of Pesticide Action Network Europe’s latest analysis, which took into account 2015 monitoring data of fruit and vegetables from all EU Member States, following a public access to documents request. Mandarins, oranges, grapes, and peaches are all on the top of the list, turning a healthy fruit salad into a potentially toxic cocktail.
Pesticide Action Network Europe calls upon MEPs to reject the European Commission’s “unfit” proposal to protect people against harmful EDPs – due for voting tomorrow (Wednesday 4th of October).
A new analysis of the Pesticide Action Network reveals that European Commission's health service DG SANTE approves the use of pesticides with potential carcinogenic metabolites as a standard procedure (Table 1 in attached analysis, e.g. Carfentrazone, Mesotrione, Flazasulfuron, Metsulfuron).
Informal meeting of ministers for agriculture and fisheries: PAN Europe Reaction on 'Empowering our farmers with effective tools to manage risks post-2020'
The EU ministers for agriculture and fisheries will have their informal meeting in Tallinn, 3-5 September, to discuss “Risk management: empowering our farmers with effective tools to manage the risks post-2020”.
How EU authorities manoeuvered classification of glyphosate as a probable carcinogen to keep it on the market
Brussels, 13-07-2017
A new report by toxicologist Dr Peter Clausing explains how EU authorities, in plain violation of their own rules, disregarded scientific evidence to reach the “predetermined” conclusion that glyphosate does not cause cancer.
(Brussels, 7th July) Today, on the occasion of the conference "The CAP: have your say!" presenting the results of the consultation on the future of the common agricultural policy (CAP), PAN Europe reiterates its call upon the European Commission to encourage one serious long term objective of the CAP: development and maintenance of low impact farming systems in all parts of the EU.
Tomorrow, the Committee on Environment of the European Parliament will gather to discuss and vote on 3 motions for resolution tailor-made for the pesticide industry to keep bee-killing pesticides in the market
