85 organisations – including environmental, health, and human rights groups, as well as farm worker unions and farmer organisations – have created a Roadmap for Pesticide Phase-Out for EU policy-makers. This document outlines key demands and actionable steps to reduce pesticide use and risk across Europe, advocating for an agricultural future that prioritises human health, environmental protection and a fair, secured future for farmers. It is essential that the recommendations are represented in the upcoming EU Vision for Agriculture and Food.
The organisations remind the European Commission of Farm to Fork and post-2020 Global Biodiversity targets, and of the loud and repeated calls of civil society and scientists to ambitiously reduce pesticides [1].
Kristine De Schamphelaere, policy officer at PAN Europe said:
‘Citizens, scientists and many farmers, including the more than one million citizens asking to phase out toxic pesticides through the ECI Save Bees and Farmers, are still waiting for action from the Commission. Pesticides kill biodiversity, which is collapsing at an alarming rate. They pollute our soils and water, undermine a long-term perspective for farmers and cause serious illnesses. Phasing out harmful pesticides is urgent and inevitable’.
Clara Bourgin, food, farming and nature campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe said:
“Business as usual is not an option: it destroys biodiversity, it poisons farmers and citizens. A swift and just transition to phase out toxic pesticides must remain a top priority for the new European Commission.”
The Roadmap comes ahead of the publication of the EU Commission’s upcoming Vision for Agriculture and Food, which is expected to be presented on the 17th of February. It urges the Commission to make pesticide reduction a reality. It is of the utmost importance for the EU to actually start implementing existing legislations, and take real steps to phase out toxic pesticides. Implementation of Integrated Pest Management, mandatory since 2014, has been largely absent. The organisations also point at the currently used Harmonised Risk Indicator I, which is unfit for purpose, misleading and should be urgently replaced. Also the need for the right supportive framework to transition away from toxic pesticides is among the key demands, including high-expert independent advisory systems.
The Roadmap refers to the outcome of the Strategic Dialogue on Agriculture [2], which highlights the need to reduce pesticides, and the need for urgent and ambitious action to transition to sustainable food systems.
Read our Roadmap summary or the full version here.
Notes:
[1] Of the 10 successful ECI’s that have been submitted to the European Commission, 2 focused on pesticides. Through the ECI ‘Save Bees and Farmers(link is external)’ (2023) citizens asked for a phase out of toxic pesticides to protect health, environment, biodiversity, long-term food food security and long-term perspective for farmers. More than 1 million citizens asked the European Commission and the Member States for a ban on glyphosate and ambitious pesticide reductions, through a successful ECI, for a ban on glyphosate(link is external) (2017)The Eurobarometer surveys, conducted by the European Commission, consistently reveal strong public support for pesticide reduction and environmental protection: 2019 Eurobarometer: Food Safety in the EU(link is external), 2020 Eurobarometer: Making our food fit for the future(link is external) – new trends and challenges, 2022 Eurobarometer: Food Safety in the EU(link is external), 2024 Eurobarometer: Attitudes of Europeans towards the environment(link is external)
A 2023 Ipsos survey confirmed the strong concerns EU citizens hold about the impacts of pesticides on their health and the environment: IPSOS Citizens Poll on Pesticides(link is external)
The final report of the Conference for the Future of Europe(link is external) included the need for high environmental ambition in food production systems, and to drastically reduce pesticide use (2022)
EU public consultation on the Common Agricultural Policy(link is external): respondents showed a concern for environmental challenges, such as the prevention of biodiversity loss and prevention and reduction of water pollution (pesticides, fertilisers) (2017)
[2] Outcome of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture
