The EU has significantly increased the export of pesticides that are banned within its own territory due to health and environmental risks, a year-long journalistic investigation has revealed.
In an exclusive interview for BNT, one of the authors of the investigation explained the risks that these exports pose both to countries around the world and to Europe itself. Milen Atanasov from BNT spoke with Laurent Gaberelll from the Swiss NGO “Public Eye.”
1,3-dichloropropene – classified as a probable carcinogen in the US and banned in the EU due to concerns that it contaminates groundwater. The herbicide glufosinate – proven to impair fertility. And mancozeb – a fungicide banned in 2020 and classified as toxic to reproduction and an endocrine disruptor. These three are the most hazardous pesticides banned in the European Union, yet European countries continue to produce and export them globally.
“The largest share in terms of quantity comes from Germany – about 50,000 tonnes. That is nearly half of all exports of EU-banned pesticides. But among the main exporters, we also find Bulgaria. We established that over 10,000 tonnes of banned pesticides were exported from Bulgaria last year,” said Laurent Gaberell, investigative journalist for Public Eye.
In total, 122,000 tonnes of pesticides banned in the EU were exported to other countries, representing an almost 50% increase compared to the 81,000 tonnes recorded in 2018. Three-quarters of the largest importers are low-standard countries in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. The risks associated with these imports are both local and global.
“Pesticides that kill bees are recognised as one of the greatest threats, and the European Union acknowledges this. It reacts to this threat internally. Yet these substances continue to be exported, causing the deaths of millions of bees worldwide each year. Even more alarming, in many countries – particularly poorer ones – thousands of farmers die from severe pesticide poisoning from these chemicals,” explained Laurent Gaberell.
The paradox is that European citizens themselves are also affected by the export of pesticides banned in the EU.
“The irony here is that we export banned pesticides to countries that themselves export food and agricultural products to Europe. For example, one of Europe’s major trading partners, Brazil, imports pesticides and produces goods using them, which are then imported into European countries. Consumers here are therefore exposed to residues of banned substances in the food they buy.”
European laws do not prohibit the export of the pesticides highlighted in the investigation, but the authors argue that this worrying trend should not continue.
“We would like the European Commission to finally take responsibility. In 2020, it committed to action following our previous investigation. With this latest investigation, we wanted to draw attention to the fact that manufacturers appear to be taking advantage of the Commission’s hesitation and significantly increasing these exports,” said Laurent Gaberell.
Чуй новините
Подкаст
