GLOBAL 2000 sees an immediate need for action in Austria
Luxembourg, Brussels, Vienna (OTS) – The Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) today issued a landmark decision on emergency approvals of banned and hazardous pesticides published in agriculture. The Court considered inadmissible the granting of emergency authorizations for the treatment of seeds with pesticides expressly prohibited. According to the press release of the Supreme Court, this means that Member States cannot deviate from the express bans on the placing on the market and use of seeds that have been treated with plant protection products containing neonicotinoids (see original text in French ).
“This judgment ensures that hazardous pesticides that have been banned due to unacceptable environmental or health impacts cannot be kept on the market through the ’emergency approval’ loophole,” says the company. Helmut Burtscher-Schaden, GLOBAL 2000 biochemist. “The fact that this practice is illegal was already highlighted by GLOBAL 2000 in 2019, and a complaint was filed against emergency approvals of neonicotinoids harmful to bees in Austria.”
Hans Muilerman, Director of Chemicals at the European Pesticide Action Network (PAN Europe)which lodged a similar complaint in Belgium, says: “PAN Europe has been fighting this systematic abuse of the system of derogations by Member States for many years. big hit for the environmental movement! This decision will end almost half of the emergency authorizations granted by EU countries for banned pesticides.”
Today’s ECJ decision refers to questions asked by the Belgian Administrative Court following a lawsuit filed by PAN Europe, Nature & Progrès Belgium and a Belgian beekeeper. GLOBAL 2000 filed a similar complaint in Austria.
is currently in Austria according to information from the approving authority, the Federal Office for Food Safety (BAES). Application for renewal of emergency authorization of neonicotinoids for sugar beet treatment in. However, the ECJ decision makes it clear that a approval of this request by the BAES agency, which reports to the Minister of Agriculture clearly illegal would.
“Today is a good day for bees and other pollinators across Europe, as well as for the protection of the environment and health”, says Helmut Burtscher-Schaden of GLOBAL 2000 justifies that when pesticides are approved, ‘a high level of protection for humans and animals, health and the environment’ must be ensured” and questions the precautionary principle.
background
Since the EU-wide ban since 2019, neonicotinoids have been used annually in Austria through emergency approvals for sugar beet (seed treatment) in Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Styria. GLOBAL 2000 recently collected soil samples from sugar beet fields and sludge samples from waste from the AGRANA sugar factory in Tulln. Residues of these EU-wide banned neonicotinoids were detected in all samples.
Questions and contact:
Selina Englmayer, GLOBAL 2000 Press Officer, +43 699 14 2000 26, [email protected]
Helmut Burtscher-Schaden, environmental chemist GLOBAL 2000, +43 699 14 2000 34, [email protected]