A total of 76 non-governmental organizations in the EU sent a joint statement to the Parliament, the Council, and the Commission. They expressed alarm about what they call the mistakes in the draft new rule of Input and Agricultural Products Statistics, currently under negotiation. The rule would determine the level of knowledge needed about actual pesticide use in each EU country. The signatories argue that, although the issue concerns public health, the information provided would be insufficient: if the text becomes law, data on pesticide use will be too scarce, collected too late, and shrouded in worrying uncertainty about what will actually be published.
Spain stands out in this debate as the European country with the highest pesticide sales per Eurostat data. Carlos de Prada, director of Hogar sin Tóxicos, and a longstanding signatory, underscores how crucial it is to curb pesticide use. He notes that a lack of knowledge about pesticide use could undermine European plans to reduce consumption and to verify whether employment of these substances is rising or falling. He stresses the need for detailed, timely, reliable information on which pesticides are used, where, when, and in what quantities.
They call on the EU to publish more information on these substances. The signatories emphasize that without better data, the public cannot verify whether regulatory goals are being met, and the current approach leaves the public health and environmental watchdogs without a clear picture of risks.
Carlos de Prada warns that not knowing the real situation is like living blindfolded in the face of a serious risk. He argues that only a few large companies appear to benefit from the existing information gaps, profiting from selling hundreds of thousands of tons of these chemicals.
This lack of information, he adds, encourages pesticide overuse and can have very negative effects. It becomes harder to identify areas where water pollution could occur or where exposure could harm human health or biodiversity because precise data are missing.
The 76 signatories point out that, unless the current agreement is revised, the first annual data collection by country authorities on pesticide use by farmers may not arrive until 2028.
They reject provisions that would delay action. They urge the rule to require the European Commission to have a compliant electronic format ready before 1 January 2023 and to provide a transition period for the first digital collection of all farmer records for all crops by 2025 at the latest.
Additionally, the signatories request that the rule compel national governments to annually collect all data on pesticide use from farmers and to specify the data by area.
Right to information
The joint statement also condemns the proposal for facilitating access to information as it would not fully guarantee that data on the use and sale of all pesticides are published in line with environmental information access rules.
They argue for explicit provisions ensuring the dissemination of data on pesticide use and sales, stating in advance the level of detail to be published. The data should cover active ingredients, treated surface, and crop, and must be publicly available.
They contend that the Commission proposal allows too many exceptions that could unnecessarily constrain information shared with Eurostat about pesticides. The organizations maintain that these exemptions should not apply to pesticide data.
So far, data on pesticide volumes within the EU are scarce, but improving this situation is essential. Having such information is crucial to take appropriate action to protect biodiversity and human health against the influence of agrochemical groups and other interests.
Airborne pesticide reduction strategy
Lack of precise knowledge about actual pesticide quantities used in a country can seriously undermine efforts to cut usage across the continent. It makes it harder to verify that targets set under the European Green Deal—particularly the From Field to Fork approach—are met and that a strong reduction in pesticide use by 2030 is on track.
Without reliable data, confirming real reductions becomes difficult. Reliable data is central to moving toward ecological farming and away from models that do not financially benefit farmers. It is essential for transparency and accountability in this transition.
Historically, farmers have had to keep records of the pesticides they use for authorities, but this information has not been systematically collected. If researchers or agencies need access to these records, they can encounter legal hurdles.
As the statement notes, pesticide use and its risks to human health and the environment appear to be out of control. Having better data could help rebuild public trust in national governments and EU institutions, showing a commitment to protecting health and the environment from the influence of special interests.
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