The European Commission has today (Monday December 14) decided to withdraw Mancozeb – a substance in pesticides – from the European Union (EU) market.
It’s part of the EU’s commitment to make food systems more sustainable and to protect citizens from harmful substances.
Commissioner for health and food safety Stella Kyriakides said: “The protection of citizens and the environment from dangerous chemicals is a priority for the European Commission.
Reducing the dependency on chemical pesticides is a key pillar of the Farm to Fork strategy we presented last spring. We cannot accept that pesticides harmful to our health are used in the EU.
The Farm to Fork strategy forms part of the European Green Deal aiming to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly.
The commission has said that ensuring a sustainable livelihood for primary producers, who still lag behind in terms of income, is essential for the success of the recovery and the transition to becoming climate neutral by 2050.
“Member states should now urgently withdraw all authorisations for plant protection products containing Mancozeb,” Kyriakides added.
Pesticides
Mancozeb is an active substance which is used in a number of pesticides in the EU. It is a fungicide that also works as an insecticide and is sold under the commercial names of Dithane, Manzeb, Manzane and Nemispot.
It follows the scientific assessment by EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) which confirmed health concerns, in particular having a toxic effect on reproduction, and the protection of the environment.
Mancozeb also has endocrine-disrupting properties for humans and for animals. Member states will now have to withdraw authorisations for all plant protection products containing Mancozeb by June 2021.