By a vote of 577-61, the European Parliament adoptednew legislation that would ban 22 more pesticides, amove some farmers said would prevent them fromgrowing more crops at a time when the world has faced foodshortages, and that it would drive up prices. More pesticideproducts will become available, but the use of certain dangerouschemicals in these products will be banned.Anne Laperrouze, a Member of the European Parliament(MEP) from France, who followed the dossiers on behalf of theEuropean Liberals and Democrats, said, “A signal is given to theplant protection industry: it needs to make available less hazardousproducts. For the farmers, the signal is that they needto keep on implementing a reasoned and sustainable agriculture.

For the citizens, the signal given is that the EU is takingcare of their health by removing from the market the mosthazardous products. We should also note the major stepachieved for the enhanced protection of bees, a key element inthe preservation of our ecosystem.” The classifications haveupset Europe’s pesticides industry, which says the new law willremove products from the market that have been used safely foryears. “The banning criteria are of major concern to industry andthe whole European food chain.

European farmers have alreadylost 60 percent of the substances previously available in 1991,”the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) said.The substanceswill be phased out gradually. Parliament voted for a systembanning some substances this year, but giving farmers moretime to find alternatives for other substances. These can still beused until 2017 or 2018. On a country-by country basis, exemptionscan be made to combat serious dangers to plant health.The parliament also called on EU countries to draw up actionplans to ensure the safer use of pesticides in daily life.MojcaDrcar Murko of Slovenia added: “This legislation shows the wayfor further improvements in the sector and towards more efficientand safer plant protection products. In particular, I welcomethe improvement of the original Commission proposalaimed at avoiding the duplication of tests and studies and promotingnon-animal tests.

”Frederique Ries of Belgium said: “TheParliament has adopted an ambitious, realistic and modernpackage. Ambitious, because European citizens want to get ridof dangerous products and want better protection in publicareas. Realistic, since economic cycles are respected and industrydoes not have to worry aboutits production potential. It is alsomodern, since the objective is toreach an agriculture with less butbetter pesticides.” The draft legislationwill in due course ban the useof certain dangerous chemicals inthese products. Measures toensure the safer use of pesticides indaily life will also be introd -uced.Hiltrud Breyer, the GermanGreen MEP who steered the measurein Parliament. She said in a parliamentdebate that “This agreement is not only a milestone forthe protection of both the environment and the consumer: itmarks an historical moment. This agreement is the first of its kindin the whole world. Europe is a pioneer on a global scale.” ChristaKlass from Germany, the parliament’s rapporteur on reducingpesticide usage, said “The use of phyto-sanitary products must bereduced or blocked in residential areas and that this directive aimsat protecting users, consumers and the environment.”

PEST MANAGEMENT

Central to the directive is the concept of Integrated Pest Management,which aims to promote non-chemical pest controlmethods such as crop rotation. Currently there are no EU rulesthat restrict the use of pesticides in the day to day environment.The regulation outlaw substances that are potentially cancerous(carcinogenic,) as well as ones that are harmful to human reproduction(reprotoxic.) Also targeted were those harmful to genes(genotoxic) or those that impact adversely on hormone production(endocrine-disrupting).The measure also:l Ensures that cancer-causing pesticides are banned fromgoing on sale while also reducing the amounts currently usedl Forbids or severely restricts their use close to schools,parks, and hospitalslAlso likely to be banned, if granted approval from EU members,will be the wholesale spraying of crops from the air - especiallynear housing estates.For new pesticides, the regulation will draw up a list of substancesthat can be used safely.

This list will form the basis of thenational licensing of pesticides. Breyer also said: “The decision tophase out highly hazardous pesticides sets a new milestone forenvironment and health protection. This regulation, the first ofits kind in the world, will bring clear health benefits and improveboth food and water quality in the European Union.The vote came in the face of intensive lobbying by the pesticidesindustry and certain farmer representatives, who lawmakerssaid tried to dilute and obscure the rules until the very lastminute. Pesticides that are carcinogenic, mutagenic or damagereproduction will now be phased out in Europe, unless exposureto them is negligible. The regulationrecognises the importance of bees topollination and the problem of theirdwindling numbers in Europe. Fromnow on, pesticides must be proven tohave no unacceptable acute or chroniceffects on bees to be introduced orallowed to stay on the market.

The regulation will also have theknock-on benefit of cutting the use of hazardous pesticides elsewhere, sincefruit and vegetables imported to theEU must not contain banned pesticides.Bananas from Costa Rica, for example, may no longer containpesticides known to be harmful to reproduction. Speaking in thedebate in Strasbourg, France, MEP Avril Doyle of Ireland said:““A wide range of common products can be hazardous if thehandling and usage instructions are ignored. Being ‘on the market’is not in itself a ‘risk’ to the consumer, the environment orthe user of such products. Take alcohol, as an example. Purealcohol is extremely hazardous if improperly used, but moderateusage of the diluted product is certainly not a hazard and only asmall risk!“So pesticides are only ‘hazardous’ if the handler doesn’tknow what he or she is doing, if the application equipment isfaulty, if the aquatic environment is ignored or if they areimproperly stored and not part of an integrated pest managementplan. Properly handled, properly used, there is minimal riskto the user and the environment and none to the consumer.These substances must be used to the least extent possible forpublic health, environmental and economic reasons. No farmerwould disagree.”