A total of 76 non-governmental organizations in the EU were alarmed in the joint statement sent to the Parliament, the Council and the Commission. “Mistakes” of the draft new norm of Input and Agricultural Products Statistics that the aforementioned organizations are in negotiations right now. This is a rule that will determine the degree of knowledge that will be required about the actual use of pesticides in each country. of the European Union. These organizations confirm that, despite addressing a public health issue, the information will be completely inadequate: “If the text becomes law, data collected on pesticide use will be too scarce, too late, and worryingly uncertain. what will actually be published.”
This topic is particularly relevant Spain, which is the European country with the highest pesticide sales according to the latest data of Eurostat, As Carlos de Prada, director of Hogar sin Tóxicos, one of the signatory organizations working for years to reduce the use of these substances in Spain reminds.
According to this expert, “lack of knowledge about the use of pesticides may hinder European plans to reduce their use, failing to adequately verify that their employment is increasing or decreasing. It is absolutely essential to have as detailed and timely reliable information as possible about which pesticides are used where, when and in what quantities”.
Carlos de Prada,not knowing the real situation is like living blindfolded before anything that represents a serious risk. The only ones benefiting from the current lack of control are some large companies that profit from selling hundreds of thousands of tons of this poison.”
This lack of information, he adds, favors pesticide overuse and can have very negative effects.because the lack of precise data makes it difficult to identify areas where, for example, water pollution may occur or exposure to pesticides could harm human health or biodiversity.
The 76 signatories of the document point out that unless what has been agreed so far is changed, it will be necessary to wait until 2028 for the first annual data collection by country authorities on pesticide use by farmers.
Something these beings reject, They want the rule to force the European Commission to have a compliant electronic format before 1 January 2023. and that the transition period for the first digital collection of all farmer records for all crops is available in at least 2025.
In addition, the signatory organizations require the rule to require national governments to annually collect all data on pesticide use from farmers and to have the required specification by area.
Right to information
The joint statement sent to the European authorities also condemns that the new regulation under preparation “undermines citizens’ right to information” as it does not sufficiently guarantee that data on the use and sale of all pesticides are actually published. in full compliance with the rules regarding access to environmental information.
Like this, “A provision should be included that specifies the necessary dissemination of data on the use and sale of pesticides and clearly states in advance the level of detail to be published.. It is essential that the data are known by the active ingredient, surface-treated (ha) and crop, and that the data in question is publicly available,” they point out.
They also argue that there are too many potential exceptions in the Commission proposal that could unnecessarily limit the information communicated to Eurostat regarding pesticides. Organizations claim that these exceptions or exemptions do not apply to data on pesticides.
So far, little data has been collected and published on the volume of pesticide use in the EU, as noted in the joint statement, and “improving this situation is essential because having such information is crucial to be able to take appropriate action, which causes unacceptable harm to biodiversity and human health.” about the substances on which the evidence accumulates”.
Airborne pesticide reduction strategy
Also, lack of knowledge of the actual amounts of pesticides used in a country can seriously undermine plans to reduce the use of these pesticides on the continent. Makes it difficult to verify that the targets set out in the European Green Deal have actually been metespecially strategy From Field to ForkPromoting a strong reduction in pesticide use by 2030.
“Without reliable data, it will be difficult to confirm that pesticide use has actually decreased.“It is a central element in the transition to an ecological farming model that will overcome the traditional production model that does not even benefit the farmers economically,” he points out to these organizations.
He also noted that, for over a decade, farmers have had a formal obligation to keep a record of the pesticides they use available to the authorities, that this data has not been systematically collected, and “if someone wants to access these records, for example, a team of scientists or other agency or individual will be forced to go to court”.
As stated in the statement, “Pesticide use and its risks to human health and the environment are out of control” Y Having such data will help “rebuild EU citizens’ confidence in national governments, EU institutions and their will to protect public health and the environment against the weight of special interests such as agrochemical pressure groups”.
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