The European Commission wants to simplify the rules for the approval of pesticides through the so-called Food & Feed Safety Omnibus package. According to the Commission, this should make procedures faster and easier.
Scientists from 27 European research institutions have serious doubts about this. They state that the proposed changes weaken important safety checks and increase the risks for human health and the environment.
Burden of Proof
According to the researchers, periodic reassessments of active substances threaten to largely disappear. Also, the burden of proof would shift, meaning national authorities would more often have to prove themselves that a substance is harmful.
Promotion
The scientists advocate instead for more transparency regarding the studies on which approvals are based, better monitoring of pesticide use, and additional resources to clear backlogs in substance assessments.
Even More Flexible
Concerns are also growing about the negotiations in Brussels. A leaked draft from two rapporteurs of the European Parliament's agriculture committee reportedly contains even more far-reaching relaxations than the European Commission’s proposal. This would make it easier for harmful substances to be approved and remain on the market longer.
Health and environmental organizations fear that scientific knowledge about the relationship between pesticides and, among other things, cancer, hormone disruption, developmental disorders, and reproductive damage is insufficiently considered. They warn that children are particularly vulnerable to exposure to these substances.
In the Coffee
The debate is reinforced by a recent new study on pesticides in coffee. In some of the roasted coffee samples tested, residues of pesticides (not allowed in the EU) were found. The researchers say some substances can survive the roasting process and ultimately end up in coffee.
The researchers and environmental organizations also point to a double standard. They note that pesticides not permitted within the European Union are exported to coffee-producing countries. Residues of those substances can then re-enter the European market via imported coffee—this time in the coffee itself.
Health
According to critics, the discussion demonstrates that the European Union faces a choice. They believe that speeding up procedures must not come at the expense of protecting the health of consumers, agricultural workers, biodiversity, and the environment. Therefore, they call on the European institutions not to further weaken existing safety standards.