EU pesticide rules are among the most stringent in the world and meet their objectives, but implementation by Member States is poor, according to the REFIT assessment published by the Commission on the same day as the EU’s biodiversity and sustainable ‘farm to fork’ food strategies.
Both aim for a 50% reduction in the use and risks of chemical pesticides by 2030 and a 50% reduction in the risk of high-risk pesticides (see EUROPE 12491/2, 12491/3).
The REFIT evaluation, which involved all stakeholders, focuses on the Regulations on ‘marketing authorisation for pesticides’ (1107/2009) and ‘maximum residue limits in food’ (396/2005). In the immediate future, its follow-up will focus on improving the implementation of the existing legislative framework to make it more effective, the Commission says.
According to the Commission, a rapid phase-out of active substances that do not meet the approval criteria will promote ecosystem health and biodiversity while promoting low-risk, non-chemical pesticides.
Combined with the reinforced implementation of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive, in particular the provisions on Integrated Pest Management, this will reduce dependence on chemical pesticides and contribute to more sustainable food production systems.
The NGO PAN Europe (Pesticide Action Network) deplores the fact that the REFIT evaluation does not take into account the systemic failures in the pesticide risk assessment process in Europe and that the Commission claims that the authorisation of pesticides generally works well, “ignoring the many problems regarding conflicts of interest, selective use of scientific literature and lack of sensitive tests” (see EUROPE 12471/22).
REFIT evaluation: https://bit.ly/2ZDddVO (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)