85 organisations call for pesticide exit

Dozens of environmental, health, and human rights groups, as well as farm worker unions and farmer organisations, have joined forces to push for an ambitious pesticide phase-out in the EU. But how? The organisations propose a Roadmap.

The "Roadmap for a Pesticide Phase-Out" lays out a comprehensive plan advocating for a future of agriculture that safeguards human health, protects the environment, and ensures a fair and sustainable future for farmers. With the European Commission’s upcoming Vision for Agriculture and Food set to be released on February 17, it is critical that these recommendations are incorporated into EU policy.

The EU Must Implement Its Own Policies

The organisations demand that the Commission fully implement existing laws. Precisely because of the failure of the Sustainable Use Regulation (SUR), it is “of the utmost importance that the EU steps up its efforts to effectively implement existing legislation and takes ambitious steps to reduce pesticides”. This should ensure that pesticides are only used as a “last resort”.

In connection with the Sustainable Use Directive (SUD), the organizations criticize that the national plans to reduce pesticide use are inadequate. In the regulation on the placing of plant protection products (1107/2009) on the market, for example, there are “serious shortcomings in the risk assessment and authorisation processes”. In addition, the indicator of the Harmonized Risk Index 1 (HRI 1) is “inappropriate”. Finally, the signatories call for a ban on the export of pesticides that are banned in the EU and the introduction of an EU-wide tax on the sale of pesticides.

Civil Society and Scientists Demand Action

The organisations behind the Roadmap remind the European Commission of its Farm to Fork Strategy and post-2020 Global Biodiversity targets. They highlight the persistent calls from civil society and scientists for bold pesticide reduction measures. These voices include more than one million citizens who signed the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) Save Bees and Farmers, demanding a phase-out of toxic pesticides to protect biodiversity, health, and long-term food security.

Pesticides: A danger for biodiversity and health

The scientific consensus is clear: continuing the widespread use of pesticides is not an option. In July 2023, a collective of over 6,000 scientists issued a dire warning about the necessity of dramatically cutting pesticide use. Their statement underscored the dangers pesticides pose to biodiversity, human health, and the sustainability of agriculture. If action is not taken, not only will ecosystems suffer, but future generations will be burdened with toxic residues in soil, water, and food supplies. Pesticides also contribute to soil degradation, water contamination, and exacerbate climate change, leading to long-term harm to human and environmental health.

Public opinion is clear: reduce pesticides now!

Public demand for ambitious pesticide reduction policies is overwhelming:

• Two European Citizens’ Initiatives (ECIs), including Save Bees and Farmers, have successfully collected over one million signatures calling for a pesticide phase-out.

• Recently, in less than 3 months more than 260,000 Europeans signed a new petition that urges the EU Commission to prioritise pesticide reduction

• Eurobarometer surveys consistently show that EU citizens prioritize pesticide reduction and environmental protection.

• A 2023 Ipsos poll reinforced widespread concerns about the health and environmental impacts of pesticides.

• The 2022 Conference for the Future of Europe concluded with a clear call for high environmental ambition in food production and drastic pesticide reduction.

The European Commission cannot continue to delay. The evidence is clear, the public is demanding change, and existing EU laws already mandate action. The Roadmap for Pesticide Phase-Out provides a clear path forward—now it is up to EU policymakers to make it a reality.