A new YouGov poll in seven countries finds that citizens, whatever their political leanings, oppose flagship proposals of the European Commission’s Food and Feed Safety Omnibus, namely unlimited pesticide approvals and prioritising yields over health, while supporting a complete phase-out of pesticides. Support for unlimited approval never exceeds 10% among voters of any European Parliament group, falling to 5% for EPP-affiliated voters and 7% for ECR-affiliated voters. This is at odds with what these groups advocate in the European Parliament.
The poll was carried out in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Romania and Spain. Respondents in these seven countries want to phase out pesticides and see stricter approval rules: 50-72% support reassessing pesticide approvals more frequently than is currently the case, while 68-80% favour a complete phase-out of pesticides. Human health is ranked as the top priority in pesticide approval decisions by 68-76% of respondents, across all countries and political groups, followed by water protection, and biodiversity.
Weakening the regulation of pesticides or expanding their use further are overwhelmingly rejected across all political preferences. Support for unlimited approval does not exceed 10% in any group. It stands at just 5% among voters of European People’s Party (EPP)-affiliated parties and 7% among those of European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)-affiliated parties. Only 1-3% of respondents support expanding pesticide use.
The Omnibus does not reflect the views of European voters. It closely mirrors the position of the pesticide industry and puts private profits ahead of citizens’ demands. [1]
“The message is clear: unlimited pesticide approvals have no public support, not even from conservative and far-right voters. MEPs pushing to weaken pesticide safeguards are out of step with the people they represent”, said Salomé Roynel, Policy Officer at PAN Europe.
Presented in December 2025, the Commission’s Omnibus proposal would make unlimited approval the default for pesticide active substances, scrapping the regular safety reviews that have allowed 54 harmful substances to be banned since the EU pesticide regulation entered into force in 2011. It would also make it far easier for endocrine disruptors and groundwater contaminants to stay approved “by derogation”, and let banned pesticides, including some carcinogens, remain on the market for up to three more years. [2] The proposal has prompted tremendous concerns about risks to human health and the environment, raised by scientists across health-related disciplines and by five UN human rights experts. [3]
Citizens want better protection and the implementation of the 'polluter pays' principle
The poll shows a clear preference for protecting health and the environment over agricultural production. In addition, respondents most often say pesticide manufacturers should pay for pesticide-related damage, ahead of farmers, taxpayers or shared responsibility.
“Citizens want a complete phase-out of pesticides. They wish public and environmental health to come first, and the industry to pay for the damage caused by pesticides. We call on all MEPs to stand with their voters and reject the Omnibus proposal”, concluded Dr Angeliki Lysimachou, Head of Science and Policy at PAN Europe.
Background
The poll was conducted online by YouGov in seven European countries using its established polling methodology. In each country, the survey targeted 1,000 respondents aged 18 and over, with samples designed to be nationally representative of the adult population. Respondents’ political affiliation was classified according to their reported voting behaviour in the most recent national general (legislative or presidential).
We, the collaborating parties, further analysed YouGov’s results by grouping respondents according to the European Parliament political group to which the national party they voted for in the most recent national election currently belongs. Figures quoted in the text were calculated by the collaborating parties on the basis of this aggregation. Please refer to our report for further details.
The poll was conducted on behalf of PAN Europe, in collaboration with our members and partners in each country: Ecologistas en Acción (Spain), Eco Ruralis and Romapis (Romania), Générations Futures (France), Greenpeace Poland, the Irish Environmental Network (Ireland), PAN Germany and Umweltinstitut München (Germany), WWF Italy and Greenpeace Italy.
Contacts:
- Salomé Roynel, Policy and Campaign Officer, salome [at] pan-europe.info, +32 451 023133
- Dr Angeliki Lysimachou, Head of Science and Policy, angeliki [at] pan-europe.info, +32 496 392930
Notes:
[1] Food & Feed Omnibus, written by the pesticide lobby?
[2] Food and Feed Safety Omnibus - Weaker protection
[3] UN experts warn that plans to weaken EU pesticide law threaten human rights
Read more: For Health, Bees and Farmers
