The European Parliament wants new, more far-reaching measures to better protect bees and other pollinators. The MEPs are calling on the European Commission to strengthen the “EU Pollinators Initiative” established in 2018.
In a resolution adopted in the plenary session in Strasbourg, Parliament welcomes the fact that insufficient attention is given to the causes of the disappearance of pollinators, such as changes in land use, habitat loss, intensive farming, the use of pesticides, and environmental pollution.
A majority of the European Parliament also wants the pesticide Mancozeb to be banned in the EU as of January 31. The European Commission intends to extend the authorization of this fungicide by one year, but a majority of 443 members voted on Wednesday in favor of a motion of objection by Dutch MEP Anja Hazekamp (Party for the Animals). The European Commission must now reconsider its earlier decision.
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Toxicologists associate Mancozeb with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease. A Dutch television program reported in September about a significantly higher number of people with Parkinson’s disease in rural areas where Mancozeb or similar pesticides are used. Mancozeb is the most sold fungicide in the Netherlands.
The MEPs want the European Commission to develop a comprehensive action program and provide sufficient resources. As things stand, many active substances for crop protection will lose authorization due to the current criteria.
The European umbrella organization of crop protection companies claims that food harvests in Europe will shrink as a result, by as much as 30% in potatoes, sugar beets, grapes, and rapeseed, and by 7% in wheat, barley, and corn. The EU could potentially become a net importer of products such as potatoes and barley.