The European Commission has launched the Food and Feed Safety Omnibus package, squeezing in yet another proposal that weakens environmental protections.
The package confirms rumours of further regression in EU agriculture, introducing detrimental changes to EU pesticide regulation that effectively pave the way for the continued use of substances contaminating European waters and threatening public health.
“Eight in ten citizens are raising red flags over pesticides, yet the von der Leyen Commission only has ears for the pesticides lobby. Scientific evidence is piling up, showing how our waters are turning into a chemical soup due to harmful agricultural runoff, while farming methods that are good for nature remain sidelined,” said Laurence Modrego, Senior Policy Officer for Sustainable Agriculture and Food at the WWF European Policy Office. “With this proposal, the European Commission is sending the wrong signals to farmers and the agro-industry, incentivising damaging practices and risking demotivating food producers who strive to do better. It feels like we’re letting the fox guard the henhouse – and people’s health and wildlife are paying the price.”
Although the European Commission has stepped back from its initial plan to grant unlimited approvals for nearly all pesticides, as revealed in previous leaks, its proposal:
- Still introduces open‑ended approvals for certain pesticides.
- Extends grace periods for banned pesticides, allowing their use for up to three years.
- Broadens the definition of biological control substances to synthetic products with similar chemical profiles but potentially different toxicity.
- Restricts Member States from using the latest scientific evidence in pesticide assessments.
This Omnibus package is the eighth in the Commission’s deregulation marathon over the past year, with environmental protections heavily targeted and the process widely criticised for disregarding democratic procedures, as emphasised by European Ombudswoman, Teresa Anjinho.
