The European Citizens' Initiative “Save Bees and Farmers!” may still fail due to the absence of the necessary quorum. The organizers of this European referendum have one more week to gather the remaining 230,000 signatures needed.
According to EU rules, such a European Citizens' Initiative requires at least one million signatures, spread across at least seven EU countries. Earlier this month, the Netherlands became the eighth country to reach the minimum for “Save Bees and Farmers.”
The initiative aims to put gradual abolition of chemical crop protection products in the EU on the agenda. A recent study published in the journal Nature points to the harmful effects of the accumulation of toxins.
Next year, the renewal of the approval of the controversial substance glyphosate (RoundUp) is scheduled on the EU agenda.
The goal of the citizens' initiative is to ensure that the European Commission gradually bans the use of synthetic pesticides by 2035, while also supporting farmers in the necessary transition. To this end, the use of synthetic agents must be reduced by 80% by 2030.
By securing the required number of countries, the first requirement for a European Citizens' Initiative has been met. Now, the task is to reach the total of 1 million signatures by September 30.
The current count stands at 631,000, so there is still a strong final push required. If the organizers do not reach that number, the European Commission will not need to hold a hearing or draft a legislative proposal.