Pesticides and health policy update – October 2009

Pesticides policy developments - A overview of up-coming policy developments in the EU.

 The revision of the Biocides Directive (non agricultural use of a plant/fungicide) also is now in the European Parliament this autumn. Key issues will be what sorts of criteria are developed to exclude certain biocides from use, such as PBTs (persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic), Endocrine Disruptors (with what definition) and with what exceptions.

 On September 24th, the Council of Ministers voted to adopt the Pesticide Authorisation Regulation. It switches the approval of pesticides from the risk-based approach to the use of hazard-based "cut-off" criteria. The Directive on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides was also approved, requiring EU Member States to set up National Action Plans.

HEAL’s action on Pesticides

 As part of the Sick of Pesticides UK Campaign UK initiative, we have launched two on-line questionnaires; one directed at the schools themselves, and another for citizens to survey their own schools. Read more

Your action

 Fill in our survey: Find out which pesticides are in your school? If you are not based in the UK, please disseminate to your UK contacts! Find the questionnaire here

 Let us know if you would like to translate and adapt the school survey in your country - please contact Genon

Last updated on 10 June 2011