EU ministers agree cancer causing pesticides ban

Cancer causing chemicals in pesticides will be banned under a deal thrashed out by EU agriculture ministers after two years of negotiations. The new rules will totally prohibit the marketing and use of substances proven to be carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic to reproductive systems.

The Slovenian Minister of Agriculture and President of the council on pesticides, Iztok Jarc, welcomed the agreement: “This is indeed a major success in order to implement all the necessary standards to prevent all the potential negative impact that plant protection product could have on the environment and human health.”

The deal is expected to get the backing of the EU assembly in the autumn.

It would force farmers and chemical makers to replace hazardous plant protection products with safer materials.

The use of pesticides near nature reserves or parks would be banned and crop-dusting restricted.

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The bill will tighten and simplify the rules for authorising new pesticides on the EU market and aims to force pesticide makers to reduce animal testing of their products.

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