Carcinogenicity assessments of pesticide active substances in the EU are not carried out in accordance with the applicable EU and OECD guidelines for 40% of active substances, which could lead to continued exposure of farmers and consumers to carcinogenic pesticides, according to a report published on 21 October by the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Germany and HEAL (Health & Environment Alliance).
The report, commissioned by these NGOs from toxicologist Peter Clausing, is based on the analysis of the carcinogenicity sections of the draft assessment reports for the renewal of the authorisation of ten active substances.
NGOs therefore call on the President-elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to ensure a more rigorous application of EU legislation and existing guidance documents on pesticides, in the context of the Green Deal, which aims in particular at achieving zero pollution.
"Committing to a rigorous implementation of European laws should be a founding block of reaching Europe’s zero-pollution objective to prevent diseases and protect people, starting with farmers, from substances toxic to their health", comments HEAL Executive Director Genon K. Jensen.
For three active substances (chlorothalonil, diuron, forchlorfenuron), the outcome of the review is similar to that of the European authorities.
For three others (folpet, pirimicarb and thiacloprid, a neonicotinoid bee killer), the results differ. According to the report, the hazards were underestimated and these substances should have been classified as having a presumed (rather than suspected) human carcinogenic potential, which would lead to a ban on their marketing.
For phosmet, the review shows that the European authorities should have identified severe data gaps and not drawn any conclusions instead of stating that it is not carcinogenic, the report states.
In the case of three pesticides (captan, chlorpropham, dimoxystrobin), the report points out that no conclusions can be drawn due to lack of information. To view the report: http://bit.ly/32A6jPY (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)