[lofo List] EU Environment Committee Approves Ban of Highly Toxic Pesticides --> would reduce pesticide use by 85% by 2013

[Daryl Hepting <hepting@cs.uregina.ca>]

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/?p=881

EU Environment Committee Approves Ban of Highly Toxic Pesticides
(Beyond Pesticides, November 7, 2008) The European Parliament’s  
environment committee has passed new measures aimed at reducing use  
and toxicity of pesticides used on crops throughout the European Union  
(EU). If approved by Parliament at the end of the year, the EU will be  
on its way to reducing pesticide use by 85 percent by 2013. The  
measure faces significant backlash from the chemical industry and  
conventional farmers, but committee members (MEPs) remain firm that  
the restrictions are both important and possible to do. An official  
report published last month found record levels of pesticide residues  
on EU food, giving momentum to pesticide restrictions.

One adopted regulation will cause a list of approved “active  
substances” to be drawn up, according to which pesticides will be  
registered at a national level. It also allows EU states to be  
stricter than the allowable list. One amendment says, “Member states  
may establish any pesticide-free zones they deem necessary in order to  
safeguard drinking water resources. Such pesticide-free zones may  
cover the entire Member State.”

The second approved measure, passed on to Parliament by EU  
agricultural ministers in June, bans “certain highly toxic chemicals,”  
those being endocrine disrupting, genotoxic, carcinogenic or toxic to  
reproduction. Neurotoxic and immunotoxic chemicals may also be banned  
where they pose a significant risk. Provisional approval may be given  
to any of these chemicals if it “is needed to combat a serious danger  
to plant health.” This resolution states that “Member states should  
monitor and collect data on impacts of pesticide use, including  
poisoning incidents, and promote long-term research programmes on the  
effects of pesticide use.”

It also argues that, “In other places such as residential areas,  
public parks, sports and recreation grounds, school grounds and  
children’s playgrounds, and in the vicinity of public healthcare  
facilities . . . the risks from exposure to pesticides of the general  
public are high. Use of pesticides in those areas should, therefore,  
be prohibited.” It urged member states to promote alternatives, even  
saying, “A levy on pesticide products should be considered as one of  
the measures to finance the implementation of general and crop- 
specific methods and practices of Integrated Pest Management and the  
increase of land under organic farming.”

The report, by Christa Klass, passed 58-3, with two absentions. It  
also set quantitative targets. “Active substances of very high  
concern” and “toxic or very toxic” pesticides will be subject to “a  
minimum 50% reduction.” It also bans aerial spraying in general,  
allowing exceptions by approval, and restored a demand for buffer  
zones to the text.

While industry interest groups protested the restrictions, claiming  
yields will fall and prices will rise, MEPs and public health  
advocates dismissed them. “Human health must be given better  
protection,” said British MEP Caroline Lucas. “With today’s vote, MEPs  
have rejected industry scaremongering, and sent a clear message that  
they want to see a reduction in the use of dangerous chemicals.”

“We think these proposals are a step in the right direction,” said the  
Soil Association’s Lord Peter Melchett. “They could go further and the  
British government should be pushing for them - not opposing them.”  
According to the BBC, a final vote could come in December or January.

Sources: Parlamento Europeo, EU Observer, The Telegraph, BBC
Daryl H. Hepting, Ph.D.
Associate Professor  * Computer Science Department * CW 308.22
University of Regina * Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada S4S 0A2
dhh@cs.uregina.ca    * http://www.cs.uregina.ca/~hepting
tel: (306) 585-5210  * fax: (306) 585-4745 * cell: (306) 596-6312


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