A new proposal put forward by the European Commission to reduce the use of pesticides in the EU has the potential to be a real game changer. However, the current proposal is not ambitious enough. This was the main message from the 11 EDC-Free Europe members that participated in the public consultation on the proposed Pesticides Reduction Law, which closed on 19 September.  

With this new regulation, the European Commission aims to put into practice the objectives of the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy to reduce pesticide use by 50% by 2030. 

This proposal is however not ambitious enough to truly protect health or the environment from the harmful effects of these substances. EDC-Free Europe joins the call from 1.2 million citizens that supported the Save Bees and Farmers initiative to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides by at least 80% by 2030.

The current intensive use of pesticides in EU agriculture has a devastating effect on biodiversity and can constitute a serious threat to our health, water, air and soils. Numerous pesticides found as residues in the food we eat or water we drink are known or suspected to be harmful endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Click on the links below to read how EDC-Free Europe coalition members responded to the public consultation: