About: pesticide use
Environmentalists clash with EFSA over neonicotinoids ban ‘exceptions’
Environmental NGOs have questioned the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) scientific capacity to grant EU member states emergency authorisations for neonicotinoids, whose usage was recently banned.
Europol: Massive seizure of fake pesticides which could spray the size of the UK
Europol’s annual Operation SILVER AXE III seized the largest-ever amount of illegal or counterfeit pesticides in Europe this week. But the fact that such massive amounts of illegal pesticides are available has raised concerns about both the economic and health costs.
PEST committee boss insists on toxic pesticide to protect organic winemakers
We should stop focusing on economy over health when it comes to pesticides, said MEP Eric Andrieu, the president of the PEST committee in the European Parliament. But in the case of toxic copper, he urged member states to keep in mind that the viability of organic winery is at stake and that alternatives to copper are very limited.
EP’s pesticides committee chief ‘silent’ over toxic organic agent
The head of the European Parliament's pesticides committee has warned the European Commission about the possible impact on organic wine-growing if the use of copper, a toxic substance according to EFSA and ECHA, is outlawed.
Corteva boss: ‘Mother Nature’ changes the game quickly and demands new agricultural tools
“Mother Nature” is changing quickly and this requires the adoption of technology-driven solutions that will help both growers and consumers, Jim Collins, the chief operating officer of Corteva Agriscience, the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, told EURACTIV.
Invoking science, Europe shuts the door to neonics
The European Commission decided on Friday (27 April) to impose a complete ban on neonicotinoids, after managing to achieve the necessary qualified majority among EU member states.
Andriukaitis: Neonics case proves Commission is ‘consistent’ with science
No one can blame the European Commission of being in the hands of industry lobbies, as in both the glyphosate and neonicotinoids cases, it made “consistent” decisions, EU Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis told EURACTIV.com.
Farmers hail new transparency rules in food safety, still want science-based decisions
EU farmers have welcomed the European Commission’s new rules on transparency in food safety assessments. However, it is still uncertain to which extent this will ensure that future decisions will actually be based on science.
Pressure mounts on Commission to put neonics ban to a vote
EU lawmakers have urged the European Commission to convince member states to back its proposal to ban neonicotinoids and avoid further delays that will be harmful to bees and the environment.
Greenpeace: Commission and member states playing ‘hide and seek’ on neonics ban
The European Commission is playing hide and seek with member states regarding a ban on neonicotinoids, and this benefits pesticide manufacturers who keep on killing bees and the environment, Greenpeace claims.
EU agencies accused of cherry-picking evidence in glyphosate assessment
Lawyers on the “Monsanto papers” case accused the EU agencies responsible for food safety and chemicals of “wilfully sawing off certain studies” in their risk assessment of glyphosate.
Commission readies further restrictions to neonicotinoids
The European Commission plans to propose further restrictions on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, an EU official told EURACTIV on Wednesday (20 September), amid a continuing tug of war between environmental groups and pesticide producers.
Egg crisis: Fipronil traces found in eggs from 2016
Belgian authorities have discovered a Fipronil-contaminated egg sample dating from September 2016, the head of the Belgian food security agency announced in parliament on Thursday (17 August). EURACTIV's partner La Tribune reports.
France tables EU-wide non-agricultural pesticide ban
The senator behind France’s ban on pesticides for domestic use has submitted a draft European resolution calling on the EU to follow the French example and implement a full ban on the non-agricultural use of pesticides. EURACTIV France reports.
Commission: Technology will make farming more transparent to consumers
Technologies can enhance “transparent farming” and, as a result, better inform European consumers about the food they eat, a European Commission spokesperson told EURACTIV.com.
Glyphosate is not carcinogenic, EU agency says
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) said today (15 March) that much-discussed glyphosate weedkiller should not be classified as a carcinogen, triggering a strong response from environmentalist NGOs.
French study: Farmers can slash pesticide use without losing money
French farmers could reduce their pesticide consumption by 30% without losing profitability, a new study published in the review Nature Plants has revealed. EURACTIV’s partner Journal de l’Environnement reports.
Fake pesticides deal severe blow to EU economy, report says
Counterfeit pesticides take a significant toll on the EU's industry, tax revenues, and employment levels, a new report has found.
EU member states still divided over endocrine disruptor regulation
At a meeting of experts yesterday (21 December) the European Commission failed to bridge the gap between member states on setting criteria for endocrine disruptors.
With or without pesticides?
Regulations that prohibit farmers from protecting their crops are putting our food supply at risk, writes Graeme Taylor.