The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) ‘Save Bees and Farmers!’ has, since the 28 September, theoretically reached the threshold of one million signatures required to be validated by the European Commission. “To make this initiative succeed, we need a comfortable safety margin of at least 1.15 million” by 30 September, explain the organisers, including PAN Europe, Friends of the Earth and Future Generations.
They call for the EU to gradually reduce the use of synthetic pesticides in agriculture by 80% by 2030 “and a total phase-out by 2035”. This ECI also states that farmers must be supported in the necessary transition to agro-ecology. “Small, diverse and sustainable farms shall be favoured, organic farming expanded, and research into pesticide-free and GMO-free agriculture will be supported” according to the ECI.
Once the deadline has passed, the organisers will have to submit the statements of support to the competent national authorities, who will have three months to verify them. If the initiative is then validated, the Commission will have to indicate what follow-up it plans to give.
Link to the ECI in question: https://bit.ly/3B54Xha (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)