News 29.05.2024

EU election: Which party supported a healthy and nature-friendly agriculture?

  • Pesticides
istock / Dirk Daniel Mann

As the EU election nears, an analysis by various non-governmental organisation highlights which European political groups have often opposed public interest in key pesticide votes.

With the EU election in few weeks, it’s good to read parties manifestos and understand their commitments to solve issues related to food and agriculture. But their commitments are not a guarantee.

Best thing is to look at facts, and see which proposals political groups have actively supported or watered down in the last 5 years.  

PAN Europe, Friends of the Earth Europe and Corporate Europe Observatory have made an overview of the voting behaviour of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on six key votes on pesticides. 

The results show that the majority of EPP, ECR and ID political groups have systematically voted against the public interest.  

EU citizens asked for less pesticides. Find out which politicians listened.

The graph shows which political groups voted against an amendment to set a higher reduction target for the most harmful pesticides, to 65% by 2030 instead of 50%.
Regular independent advice is crucial to help farmers in adopting alternative practices. The graph shows which percentages of MEPs were in support of farmers receiving at least once a year independent advice, instead of every three years. 
The proposed new law would ban the use of pesticides in sensitive areas such as nature protected areas, public areas, parks and playgrounds. Who supported this essential protection?
Farmers, nature and consumers need to be better protected from harmful pesticides by adopting a new regulation aimed to further define and concretize crop-specific integrated pest management rules, ensuring pesticides are really used as last resource. The graph shows which percentage of the political groups supported - or not - these mandatory rules.
The responsibility of reducing pesticide use should be shared across the food supply chain, such as the food industry and supermarkets - certainly not on farmers alone. The graph illustrates which percentage of political groups supported holding wholesalers, food producers and supermarkets also accountable for reducing pesticide use. 
Pesticide pollution in water poses severe risks to public health and ecosystems, and incurs significant costs for society.

Across all scorecards, it is evident that there is a clear split among political groups of the EU Parliament. Undermining urgently needed measures to reduce pesticide use harms the well-being of citizens, the health of our ecosystems and a long term perspective for farmers. Now is the time to make your vote count, and to ensure that Members of the European Parliament elected in June truly represent the public interest.  

Sources and additional information