EU changes view on controversial insecticide, set to propose zero residues in food

[C.Martel]

Commission changes view on controversial insecticide, set to propose zero residues in food

At the next meeting on pesticides between the Commission and member states, on Monday and Tuesday, the bloc’s executive will table a regulation to slash to zero the insecticide thiacloprid residues in all food products, after having proposed to raise the maximum admitted level of it in imported food.

Thiacloprid, like others belonging to the group of neonicotinoid substances, is widely used at the global scale because of its efficacy on many products, such as cotton, pepper, tea, fruit, and potatoes. But the ecological impact of neonicotinoids, particularly on bees and other pollinators, pushed the EU to adopt progressive restrictions on their use since 2013.

The use of thiacloprid has been banned in the EU since 2020 because it is toxic to reproduction and a potential carcinogen. Last January, the European Parliament rejected the Commission’s proposal to raise the limit of the maximum quantity of residues of the insecticide on more than 30 products coming from third countries.

Evidently, the Commission has changed its view on the matter.

In an open letter, the Pesticide Action Network Europe called on member states to support the proposal “and to speed up its adoption”.

Beyond the NGOs’ pressure, a significant contribution to the Commission’s afterthought has come from France’s decision to halt the imports of fresh fruits and vegetables treated with thiacloprid for one year.

The ministerial decree with the decision, French authorities said, will cease to apply “as soon as the European Union adopts measures to lower maximum residue limits”.

The reasoning behind the initiative relies not only on health and environmental concerns, but it is clearly also a way to meet French and EU farmers’ demands to limit the imports of foods that do not meet the EU production standards, following the principle of “reciprocity” of requirements between the European and third-country food producers.

When it comes to pesticides, farmers’ organisations and NGOs have always been in opposing camps and the dialogue has always been difficult, to put it mildly. The excessive “polarisation” on the topic has been the main argument for the Commission to withdraw the proposal of a regulation for halving the use of pesticides by 2030.

When it comes to imported food, the story changes and the views of the opponents converge. Farmers’ appetite for competitiveness and NGOs environmental and health concerns have found common ground against the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, and the residues of pesticides in imported foods.

Thiacloprid is not an isolated case: last December MEPs rejected a proposal to allow in the EU market rice produced using tricyclazole, a fungicide whose use is banned for European growers. The Commission follows, it seems.

How stances like this can go with an ambitious trade agenda, which has been a longstanding goal of the Commission, is a more problematic issue.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/agr...idues-in-food/

The pro-Putin farmers want as much pesticides and herbicides on the food and the EU says no, the EU wants to cut in half the use of pesticides and promote organic farming. Pro-Putin Chabadite farmers want conventional poisoned food farming, are resisting organic farming.

Concerning farming, the only thing useful about the farmers is their resistance to the Green New Deal, which has nothing to do with organic farming and only to do with climate change.

Most farmers: "Farming organic is how farming was done traditionally, we like the science of poisons. Gates preached science, we farmers are for (mad) "science"™ too. Traditional wholesome farming is not the easy way."

[C.Martel]

American leftists no longer care about organic farming and less pollution, the kinds of pollution that causes cancer, American leftists used to hate vaccines. American leftists like mad science of vaccines and other "progress". American leftists are sold only niggers and stopping climate change. Which is the entire reason for the Democratic Party - niggers and stopping climate change.