Press releases
While mountainous South-Tyrol provides apples for all Europe, it is at the expense of local children who are chronically exposed to pesticides
(Brussels, 14 November 2017) South-Tyrol Organisation for Nature Conservation and Environment Protection, in collaboration with PAN Europe, recently published a report[1] on the contamination of local playgrounds by pesticides from industrial apple production. Grass samples reveal that 40% of the playgrounds are contaminated by pesticides, exposing local children to toxic chemicals.
This morning, EU Member States’ representatives of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) met in Brussels to vote on Commission’s proposal to re-authorise glyphosate, the active substance of the world’s most used herbicide, for 5-years. Once again, the European Commission's proposal regarding the herbicide active principle's re-authorisation did not receive a qualified majority vote, hence the decision has been passed onto the Appeals Committee which will meet on November 28th to deliberate on the matter.
The toxic effects of Glyphosate reported in the scientific literature were rarely taken into account in the development of the European pesticide risk assessment report, despite the European Law mandate [1]. Even when they did, they were dismissed repeatedly from the final evaluation for no valid scientific reason. These were the striking findings of the new report published yesterday by Générations Futures and Pesticide Action Network Europe.
La Commission européenne repousse le vote sur le glyphosate
(Brussels, 25 Octobre 2017) Les représentants des États membres de l’UE, réunis dans un comité d’experts pour décider du sort du glyphosate, ont décidé de repousser le vote prévu mercredi 25 octobre, a annoncé la Commission européenne. Nature & Progrès,Inter Environnement Wallonie et le PAN Europe regrettent que ce vote soit reporté.
(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).
