Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe has submitted a formal complaint to the Court of Justice of the EU. We dispute the 6th extension of approval granted to the pesticide ‘Dimoxystrobin’.

This chemical is on the list of the most toxic pesticides that should have been banned years ago. With this case, PAN Europe sets out to challenge the Commission's systematic practice of granting consecutive years-long prolongations to dangerous pesticides, without any proper re-evaluation.

Hans Muilerman, Chemical Officer at PAN Europe said: “The EU law is clear: a decision on the re-approval of dimoxystrobin should have been taken by 2016. It is one of the most hazardous pesticides in the EU: classified as likely carcinogenic and toxic to reproduction, as well as persistent in the environment. DG Sante keeps prolonging it, for 6 years now, against the rules, and despite conclusions published in 2017 by the 'Rapporteur Member State' that this substance should not be re-approved".

Angela Rupp, a campaigner at PAN Europe said “At the core of PAN Europe’s legal action, we question the unlimited use of Article 17 of pesticide regulation 1107/2009/EC. Instead of meeting the 3-year deadline to re-assess and decide on the re-approval or not of a pesticide, the European Commission and Member States keep dragging their feet. Toxic pesticides that should have been re-evaluated nearly 10 years ago are still on the market without any re-assessment of their toxicity".

Rupp added: "This practice flies in the face of the stated goal and purpose of the EU pesticide regulation. After all, the legislators have set up strict deadlines to regularly review the toxicity of pesticides to protect people's health and the environment. Article 17 cannot be considered as an excuse to completely disregard them.”

The next example of misuse of this article stands on the Standing Committee on pesticide's agenda for 14-15 July, where the European Commission proposes to prolong a series of highly toxic substances such as dicamba, deltamethrin or chlorotoluron. In addition, the fungicide 8-hydroxyquinoline was classified as toxic to reproduction 1B since 2016, which means it should be banned. But the European Commission proposes to keep prolonging it, for the 6th year, exposing pregnant women to a reprotoxic pesticide.

Muilerman concludes: “What should be the exception has become a systematic standard practice. Not respecting the deadlines for re-evaluation, both at Member States and Commission-level, looks like a strategy to maintain on the market toxic substances, to the benefit of agribusiness. The pesticide regulation is clear: priority must be given to protecting people's health and the environment. We hope the judges will correct this maladministration."