Promoters of the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Savethe Beesand Farmers’ (Save the Bees and Farmers) on 25.11.22 met with representatives of the European Commission. (1)
Vice-President Jourová and Commissioner Kyriakides received requests from the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), which has collected more than one million signatures to ban synthetic pesticides. (2)
‘Save the Bees’ demands to the European Commission
The message delivered to the representatives of the European Commission came through loud and clear: we want to end the war against nature, the promoters of ‘Save the Bees’ said.
‘To restore biodiversity and protect public health, the use of synthetic pesticides must be greatly reduced by 2030 and completely eliminated by 2035.
The EU should support farmers to achieve these goals‘.
Acting quickly
The meeting came at an important time when the European Commission’s legislative proposal is under heavy attack by the agribusiness and some EU member states in the EU Council.
Helmut Burtscher-Schaden, a representative of the Citizens Committee of this ECI, said, ‘Fifteen years ago the Commission proposed legislation to reduce risk and dependence on pesticides, to protect ecologically sensitive areas, and to replace the most dangerous pesticides with less dangerous ones .
Member states and Parliament agreed to these goals in 2009 when they adopted the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive and Regulation 1107/2009, but subsequently member states have not complied with the laws they agreed to. In this context we see it as a fatal signal in terms of democratic politics if some member states are now trying to torpedo the SUR, trying to delay it or-as is already speculated in the newspapers-trying to kill the dossier‘.
A voice for European citizens, not lobbies
Citizens are demanding a voice in this discussion about our health and our environment.
Martin Dermine, principal representative: ‘This debate can no longer be dominated by the chemical industry and its allies lobbying for industrial agriculture .
There can be no agriculture and food security without healthy soils, clean water and biodiversity.
Industrial chemical agriculture is on a dead-end street‘.
Damage to bees and organic farms
Constantin Dobrescu, Romanian Romapis beekeeper and member of the citizens’ committee, explains ‘Every year, thousands of Romanian beekeepers face severe bee losses in circumstances clearly related to pesticide use. The situation is getting worse year by year and is related to the increasingly industrial agriculture practiced in my country’.
Annemarie Gluderer (individual citizen committee member) testifies to the serious damage pesticides cause to organic farming. ‘Our organic farm is surrounded by heavily sprayed land due to intensive apple production. Pesticides entered our property, our organic crops were contaminated with them and could no longer be sold as organic products.
We had to take many protective measures to avoid being poisoned. And we, the aggrieved, are accused, threatened with closure, hated and excluded. For us there is only one solution: a ban on pesticides here and now! I demand it! For our organic farm, as a mother and grandmother for a future for our grandchildren‘.
Tumors and infertility due to pesticides
Synthetic pesticides have already poisoned two-thirds of the planet, even entering people’s bedrooms, as shown by asurvey sponsored by Save the Bees.
Dr. Polyxeni Nicolopoulo, member of the Citizens’ Committee of Greece, environmental pathologist, University of Athens, stressed the importance to our health of eliminating pesticides.
‘We see many cancers and infertility at younger ages linked to exposure to pesticides that interfere with our hormonal system .
In utero exposure to pesticides can lead to male infertility and cancer at an early age. Bees are sentinels for human health.
Martin Dermine, principal representative of ICE concludes, ‘We are more than 1 million EU citizens on our way to a toxic-free world. We support the restoration of nature, healthy food, healthy soil and clean water, flowers in the fields and biodiversity everywhere in our environment‘.
The demands of Save the Bees
The formal requirements of the Save Bees and Farmers initiative are:
1 – a phase-out of the use of synthetic pesticides in EU agriculture: -80% by 2030 and total elimination by 2035,
2 – biodiversity recovery measures: habitats must be restored and agricultural areas must become a vector for biodiversity recovery,
3-support farmers in the necessary transition to agroecology. Small, diversified and sustainable farms should be favored, organic farming expanded and research on pesticide-free and GMO-free farming supported.
The citizens’ initiative is officially validated and the European Commission will have to give a formal response. A formal hearing in the European Parliament will follow in January.
Notes
(1) The delegation visiting the EU Commission:
Dr Polyxeni Nicolopoulo (Greece, physician, individual citizen committee member), Annemarie Gluderer (South Tyrol, Italy, organic farmer, individual citizen committee member), Constantin Dobrescu (Romania, beekeeper, Romapis and BeeLife), Dr Helmut Burtscher (Austria, scientist, Global2000), Johann Lutke-Schwienhorst (Germany, Aurelia Stiftung), Corinna Hoelzel (Germany, BUND), Veronika Feicht (Germany, Umweltinstitut München), Karl Baer (Germany, former lead representative of the Citizens’ Committee, now member of the Bundestag), Madeleine Coste (Slow Food EU), Clara Bourgin (France, Friends of the Earth Europe), Luís Morago (Spain, Avaaz), Natalija Svrtan (Croatia, PAN Europe), Tjerk Dalhuisen (Netherlands, PAN Europe) and Dr. Martin Dermine (Belgium, PAN Europe).
(2) Marta Strinati. ICE Save the Bees has collected over one million signatures. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 9.10.21.
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
