The European Parliament has today (Wednesday, September 18), voted down two decisions by the European Commission to allow residue levels of several pesticides banned in the EU in imported food.
The two European Commission decisions rejected today were to allow import tolerances, also known as maximum residue levels, for the following pesticides which are already banned in the EU:
- Cyproconazole and spirodiclofen in or on a large quantity of products such as cereals, seeds, meat, liver and kidney;
- Benomyl, carbendazim and thiophanate‐methyl in or on certain products such as lemons, limes, mandarins, and okra/lady’s fingers.
The parliament’s accompanying resolutions stress that agri-products imported from non-EU countries must follow the same standards as products produced in the EU to ensure a level playing field.
Allowing higher maximum residue levels for imports would also “jeopardise” citizens’ health in Europe and in the producing countries, according to the MEPs.
A total of 522 members of the parliament voted in favour of the objection to the commission’s decision concerning cyproconazole and spirodiclofen, while 127 MEPs voted against and 28 abstained.
Meanwhile, 516 MEPs voted in favour of the objection to the commission’s decision regarding maximum residue levels of benomyl, carbendazim and thiophanate‐methyl, while 129 voted against and 27 abstained.
An absolute majority of at least 359 MEPs was needed to reject the commission’s decisions to allow maximum residue levels for several pesticides banned in the EU. The commission must now withdraw its proposals.
MEPs call on the commission to submit a new draft lowering all maximum residue levels to the limit of determination – the lowest amount at which it can be detected – or the default value of 0,01 mg/kg for all uses and to refuse any requests for import tolerances.
Pesticides
Welcoming the parliament’s objection to the commission’s proposals, the Pesticides Action Network (PAN) Europe said the vote marks a “significant victory” for consumers and for EU and non-EU farmers.
“Carbendazim, thiophanate-methyl and cyproconazole can no longer be approved in the EU due to their proven harmful effects on human health, including carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, and endocrine disruption.
“In the commission’s decision, these three pesticides were set to be permitted in specific food and feed products only to please trade partners.
“The parliament’s veto safeguards the EU’s consumer protection standard, which is to prevent any human exposure to harmful pesticides.
“It also blocks a decision which would have put EU farmers in an unfair competition, while giving a green light for these very dangerous substances to be used in third countries,” PAN Europe said.