Today, EU Member States endorsed the Irish Presidency’s compromise on the Food and Feed Safety Omnibus, supporting the Commission’s plan to roll back safeguards protecting human health and the environment from pesticides. By extending approval periods, broadening derogations and prolonging grace periods, Member States are paving the way for continued use of hazardous pesticides that should no longer be authorised.
“The Council’s limited improvement does not make up for the serious rollback of pesticide safeguards. At a time when scientific evidence is raising growing concerns about pesticides, Member States should not support opening new routes for hazardous substances to remain in use,” commented Salomé Roynel, Policy Officer at PAN Europe.
Under the Council’s position [1], unlimited approvals are restricted to low-risk substances, compared with the Commission proposal, which allowed unlimited approvals to all substances other than the most hazardous. However, approval periods for most active substances are extended by five years for first approvals and ten years for renewals, reaching up to 15 and 25 years, respectively. The text lacks strong mechanisms to ensure that approvals can be reviewed promptly when new scientific evidence raises concerns about risks to human health or the environment.
The Council retains the highly problematic proposals to extend grace periods up to three years following non-approval/renewal decisions and to relax the rules governing derogations. It also supports restricting Member States’ ability to take the latest scientific knowledge into account when assessing national pesticide authorisations. Finally, the Council expands the definition of biocontrol to include heavy metals and their salts, such as copper.
“Coming just days after more than 500 scientists added their voices to the growing opposition to the Omnibus proposal, this vote sends a deeply concerning signal about the EU’s commitment to evidence-based policymaking,” added Salomé Roynel [2].
Meanwhile, in the European Parliament, the Food and Feed Safety Omnibus package is in the hands of right-wing and far-right groups, whose proposal goes even further in weakening pesticide safeguards and rolling back protections for human health and the environment
As scientific evidence continues to highlight the risks pesticides pose to human health, water, soil life and biodiversity, policy must rise to the scale of the challenge.
“Pesticide regulation must remain grounded in science and prioritise a high level of protection for human health and the environment. The Council position moves us in the opposite direction,” concluded Angeliki Lysimachou, Head of Science and Policy at PAN Europe.
Note:
[2] European scientists sign open letter on relaxation of pesticide regulations - Leiden University
Contact:
- 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
