EUROPEANS JOIN FORCES calling for a higher level of protection from pesticides: European regulators are letting the citizens of the EU down by allowing the use of harmful pesticides in agriculture and public green areas based on an ‘unfit for purpose’ risk assessment regime that relies on pesticide industry generated toxicity studies.
The stated purpose of the European pesticide regulation (EC) 1107/2009, is to ensure a high level of protection of human and animal health, and the environment. Pesticide products and residues should not be authorised for standard use if they are found to have harmful effects on humans, animals, the environment, and its ecosystems.
Unfortunately, this is far from the reality, according to a new European coalition, Citizens for Science in Pesticide Regulation.
EU and national civil society organisations Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe, ClientEarth, Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), Global 2000 (Austria), Generations Futures (France) and Justice Pesticides (France), launched in Brussels today the coalition manifesto for “rigorous science, safe food, and a healthy environment”, signed by more than 110 civil society organisations and institutions, as well as individual experts.
