Validation of the Save Bees and Farmers signatures is finally on track. We now have the official results from 23 out of 27 EU countries. With an average validity rate of 89%, we are heading for the necessary 1 million. Enough countries reached their threshold, but we’re not there yet. Germany (587,399 signatures) still needs to be validated. However, it looks good, very good! More news soon.

New EU pesticides regulation – what is our influence?

On June 22nd the EU Commission should present their proposal for a new Pesticide Reduction Regulation and the new Nature Restoration Law. These proposals are part of the EU Green Deal and the Farm-to-Fork strategy. They should have been presented in March but were delayed after strong pressure from the chemical and agribusiness sector.

The expectation is that the Commission will propose to cut the use and risk of pesticides by 50% by 2030. It sounds good, but it’s not enough. Already in 2009, the EU agreed on pesticide reduction and a gradual ban on the most toxic pesticides. This didn’t happen, which has led to a collapse in biodiversity and serious damage to soil, water quality and our health.

We have to do much better if we want to save bees and biodiversity, to have clean water, healthy soil, good food and good health and to give our children and grandchildren a future. That is why we asked for an 80% reduction of synthetic pesticides by 2030 and a full phase-out by 2035 in our Citizens’ Initiative. As well as support for farmers to work with nature to secure food production and earn a fair income.

The proposal for the new regulation will be discussed by the EU Commission, the EU Council – the representatives of the countries – and the EU Parliament. Once our ECI is officially validated, the EU Commission will receive the Save Bees and Farmers representatives. The next step will be a hearing in the EU Parliament. We’ll try to influence the discussion on the pesticide regulation as much as we can.

National letters ask for more ambition in pesticide reduction

In 11 EU countries (more to come), a coalition of organisations ask their national parliaments and their ministers of health, environment and agriculture for an ambitious pesticide reduction. This initiative is important because countries will have the final say in the EU procedure mentioned above. The letters were sent in copy to the EU Commissioners to show what is happening at national level. Click here to read the letters sent in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Spain.

More dangerous pesticides in your fruit and vegetables – EU policy fails

In a brilliant report, Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe has smashed the myth that Europe is reducing pesticide use. Using a large number of data from EU sources, they showed that the residues of the most toxic pesticides in food are rising, not decreasing. Authorities state that food is safe and most residues are below the limits they have set. However, for this category of poisons there should not be a safe limit: they are so toxic that the EU decided in 2009 to ban them. They are too dangerous for health and environment, so they should be substituted. But 13 years later, most of them are still in the fields and on our plates. This highlights the necessity to change the rules fast!

Click here to read all about the report, the most Toxic12 and the 55 ‘Candidates for Substitution’ and join the campaign to ban these substances as soon as possible.

Please support our work with a donation

We’re now entering the official phase of the Save Bees and Farmers ECI. Please support our work to make this as effective as possible! The Aurelia Foundation in Germany will collect the donations and they will be only used for our Save Bees and Farmers work.