Dear Ministers,
Many of your constituents are very concerned by the Food and Feed Safety Omnibus proposal to weaken the EU pesticide law. Citizens across Europe are worried about the impacts of pesticides on human health, water and environment. Thousands of citizens have written to you individually. To avoid overwhelming your inboxes, we are sharing below a first digest of their messages.
Among the concerns repeatedly raised:
- “The weakening of pesticide regulations in Europe would have catastrophic consequences. As a concerned citizen living in Austria, I urge you to prioritize the health of the population and the farmers by banning the most toxic pesticides, promoting safer farming practices and supporting farmers through the transition.”
- “Dear decision makers! Please do everything in your power to keep dangerous chemicals and pesticides out of the food chain and ban its use on our beautiful, but fragile planet and ecosystems! I trust in your ability in recognising the truth and doing the right thing, apart from financial interests!”
- “Our drinking water and air quality is getting worse with all the pesticides. People are getting sick! Please stop the use of these harmful pesticides. Let money not be the motivator of decisions, but humanity, respect for nature and life!”
- “Dear Madam/Sir,
A new scientific study, published in Nature Health, reveals a strong link between exposure to agricultural pesticides present in the environment and the risk of developing cancer. For the first time, the harmful effects on populations of the "cocktail effect" of all these molecules present in our environment in a diffuse manner, in food, water, and natural environments, often in the form of complex mixtures, have been demonstrated. It is therefore imperative to protect humans and our environment from this scourge. Other agricultural techniques must finally be promoted, such as agroecology, which has been recognized by the FAO for decades as being capable of feeding all of humanity. It is time to stop this headlong rush that is chemical agriculture and finally rethink our farming methods and opt for healthy agriculture for all; this is indeed a political choice. Policies whose primary duty is to protect populations, not to poison them.”
- “The EU has the best legislation in the world on contaminants; it's good for all of us (consumers and farmers alike) and it's good for the planet. If you support the omnibus bill, it will be over.
I urge you to ban the most toxic pesticides, such as PFAS, neonicotinoids, glyphosate, and endocrine disruptors, prioritising healthier solutions for agriculture, such as crop rotation and organic farming. It is also essential to support farmers in their transition to more sustainable practices by offering them fair prices and independent expertise to restore biodiversity. Reject the pesticide omnibus bill and commit to a healthier future.”
These are eloquent summaries of the concerns shared by some 10.000 others. We would be happy to provide the full set of comments, or wider selection upon request. We would like to show them that you take their concerns seriously and are eagerly awaiting your reply to inform them.
We kindly ask you to reply to this letter and inform us of your position regarding the proposed Omnibus changes to EU pesticide legislation. Citizens across Europe are expecting reassurance that their concerns about health, biodiversity and environmental protection are being taken seriously, and we would be grateful to share your response with them.
On behalf of the concerned citizens,
Dr. Martin Dermine, Executive Director
Pesticide Action Network Europe
Find the letters sent to each EU country here:
