Organizations committed to food safety and nature protection are outraged by the withdrawal of an EU plan that was supposed to reduce the use of pesticides. Foodwatch believes that the European Commission has succumbed to the “agro-industry lobby to block any sustainable progress”. Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe calls it “a dark day for health and biodiversity”.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Tuesday that the proposal will be definitively scrapped. It has become “a symbol of polarization,” she said in the European Parliament, as farmers protested outside with tractors. Even before the current farmers’ protests, European Christian Democrats had made efforts to significantly weaken the plans. They are happy with the withdrawal and also call it a “first good signal that the committee will work with farmers to tackle climate change, instead of working against them.”
Food watchdog Foodwatch also says it supports the farmers. The organization “understands that they feel they are in a bind with stricter pesticide legislation”, but calls continuing with the current pesticide use “not the solution”. According to Foodwatch, it is important for public health, nature and food security to reduce the use of pesticides. “The longer we wait, the more problems we cause.”
Victims
PAN Europe calls farmers and their families “the first victims of pesticide use” because they are the most exposed. In addition, the organization states that pesticides “pollute waters, harm our health and destroy the biodiversity on which we depend.” Doing nothing is “not an option”, according to the network of hundreds of European organizations.
The proposal initially provided for halving pesticide use by 2030. The green group calls the withdrawal “disappointing”, but announces that it will continue to work on the plans. They say it is important to financially support farmers who use fewer pesticides.