A recent study has found that pesticide companies withheld toxicological studies from EU regulatory authorities for some pesticides, despite clear legal requirements to submit all relevant information to the European regulators when applying for the approval or renewal of authorisations. Parliament’s Committees on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety is hosting a public hearing with the authors of the study, industry representatives, and officials from other EU institutions about the potential shortcomings in the EU’s authorisation procedure. MEPs are expected to explore ideas on how to improve this process.
Where: József Antall building (Brussels), room 4Q2
When: Tuesday, 18 July 2023, 14.30-17.00
The full programme is available here. You can watch the hearing live here.
The hearing is organised in association with the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.
On the same day, before the public hearing, MEPs will also debate related issues with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). They will discuss EFSA guidance on the risk assessment of plant protection products on bees (Apis mellifera, Bombus spp and solitary bees). At 17.00, following the pesticides hearing, MEPs will debate EFSA’s recent scientific assessment of glyphosate.
Background
As part of the European Green Deal the Commission tabled a proposal for the sustainable use of pesticides in June 2022 that sets legally binding targets at EU level to reduce by 50 % the use and the risk of chemical pesticides as well as the use of hazardous pesticides by 2050, in line with EU’s ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy.