Public Hearing Addresses Pesticide Firms’ Compliance with EU Disclosure Requirements

Public Hearing Addresses Pesticide Firms’ Compliance with EU Disclosure Requirements / pesticides © image used under the license from Adobe Stock

(IN BRIEF) MEPs from the European Parliament’s Environment Committee are conducting a public hearing to examine the disclosure practices of pesticide companies regarding toxicity studies. Recent findings revealed that some firms withheld toxicological studies from EU regulatory authorities, in violation of legal requirements. The public hearing will involve discussions with study authors, industry representatives, and officials from EU institutions to address potential shortcomings in the EU’s authorization procedure. MEPs aim to explore ideas for improving the process. The hearing is organized in collaboration with the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. In related debates, MEPs will discuss the European Food Safety Authority’s guidance on risk assessment for plant protection products on bees and EFSA’s scientific assessment of glyphosate.

(PRESS RELEASE) BRUSSELS, 17-Jul-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Members of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday to examine the disclosure practices of pesticide companies regarding toxicity studies.

A recent study revealed that certain pesticide firms withheld toxicological studies from EU regulatory authorities, disregarding legal obligations to provide all relevant information during the application process for approval or renewal of authorizations. The Committees on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety of the European Parliament will host a public hearing, inviting the study authors, industry representatives, and officials from other EU institutions to discuss potential shortcomings in the EU’s authorization procedure. MEPs will explore ideas to enhance and improve this process.

Details of the public hearing are as follows:

Location: József Antall building (Brussels), room 4Q2
Date: Tuesday, 18 July 2023
Time: 14:30-17:00

The full program can be accessed here, and the hearing will be live-streamed here.

The public hearing is organized in collaboration with the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.

Prior to the public hearing, MEPs will also engage in a debate with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on related topics. They will discuss EFSA’s guidance regarding risk assessment of plant protection products on bees, including Apis mellifera, Bombus spp, and solitary bees. Following the pesticides hearing, at 17:00, MEPs will debate EFSA’s recent scientific assessment of glyphosate.

Background:

As part of the European Green Deal, the European Commission presented a proposal in June 2022 for the sustainable use of pesticides. This proposal outlines legally binding targets at the EU level, aiming to reduce the use and risk of chemical pesticides by 50% and hazardous pesticides by 2050, aligning with the EU’s ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy.

Media contacts:

Thomas HAAHR
Press Officer
(+32) 2 28 42976 (BXL)
(+33) 3 881 72033 (STR)
(+32) 470 88 09 87
thomas.haahr@europarl.europa.eu
envi-press@europarl.europa.eu
Twitter: @EP_Environment

SOURCE: The European Parliament