On Thursday 1 June, EU Member State experts meeting in the PAFF Committee approved the European Commission’s proposal to ban dimoxystrobin, the active ingredient in one of the most toxic pesticides widely used on grains, oilseeds and grasses.
The news was immediately hailed by PAN Europe (Pesticide Action Network) as “a great win for health and the environment”. However, the NGO pointed out that “if the rules had been respected, dimoxystrobin would have been banned in 2016, based on the scientific conclusions of recent research on its toxicity”.
Dimoxystrobin is classified as both likely to harm unborn children (category 2 for reproductive toxicity) and to cause cancer (a category 2 carcinogen). This active substance is also highly toxic to aquatic life.
Last July, PAN Europe took legal action against the sixth consecutive extension of this pesticide’s authorisation in the EU (see EUROPE 12989/11).
In 2021, the European Parliament unsuccessfully opposed yet another extension of the authorisation, arguing that the precautionary principle should apply, particularly to pregnant women, infants and children (see EUROPE 12676/12).
Dimoxystrobin is currently authorised for use in 15 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania and Slovakia). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)