PAN Europe conference
‘Time for a Change’

Sixty-four participants representing nineteen European countries, Ghana and the Kyrghyz Republic congregated in Bremen, Germany for the Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe) conference from 7-9 November. The participants were drawn from public health groups, environmental and consumer organisations, sustainable agriculture groups and unions. Kathy Wormald reports on the main achievements of the conference.

The annual PAN Europe conference is an important occasion for regulators and politicians to discuss pesticide concerns with public interest NGOs. This year saw consultation broadened with strengthened participation from Central and Eastern Europe. Photo: Aurel Duta.

Under the title ‘Time for a Change’ the main focal points of the conference were to promote the PAN Europe Pesticide Reduction in Europe (PURE) campaign; to discuss pesticides in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries; to improve pesticides policies – in line with the precautionary principle and other processes in the field of chemical policies; and highlight links between agricultural and consumer policies.

Focus on pesticide use reduction
Keynote presentations were given by Chris Lambert (Environmental Ministry, Belgium) and Kaj Juhl-Madsen (Danish Environmental Protection Agency). Chris Lambert stressed that pesticide issues are a priority of the Belgium presidency of the European Union (EU) (July – December 2001), and urged NGOs to utilise this opportunity. Kaj Juhl-Madsen stated that surprisingly both farmers and industry within Denmark have unanimously agreed that pesticide use can be reduced by 30-40% over a 5-10 year period without any effect on production. The Danish action plan focuses on a reduction of pesticide usage by 15% and an increase in organic farming from 7% to 10% by 2002.
    Without effective EU legislation in place to make pesticide use reduction mandatory throughout Europe, pesticide use may well continue to increase, at the expense of human health and the environment. Participants discussed elements for a PURE Directive, focusing on differences between use reduction and risk reduction strategies. The proposed EU Decision of the 6th Environmental Action Programme (6th EAP) is aimed at ‘ensuring that the levels of pesticides in the environment do not give rise to significant risk to or impacts on human health and the environment and, more generally, to achieve an overall reduction in the use of pesticides’. 
    Though the aim to achieve an overall reduction in the use of pesticides is welcome, the inclusion of the term risk is extremely worrying. It reflects the risk assessment strategy underlying the Commission’s approach towards all man-made contaminants. The PURE Campaign is seeking to amend the aims of the proposed Decision as follows: ‘Reduce the impacts on or risks to human health and the environment from the use of pesticides by achieving a significant overall reduction in pesticide use’. 
    In parallel workshops participants discussed the precautionary approach to pesticide regulation and how the precautionary principle can be linked to pesticide authorisation. PAN groups want to see governments applying precautionary bans on new and existing pesticides until their safety is proven beyond all doubt. It was agreed that NGOs should campaign for greater transparency of pesticide assessments at EU level, and seize opportunities when they arise to participate in EU pesticide authorisation. Furthermore NGOs must improve communication of the threats from pesticides to all stakeholders.
    Good Agricultural Practice is used as the basis for establishing pesticide residues. Participants agreed that both supermarkets and NGOs have a responsibility to raise consumer awareness of choice of food they buy, and that it is vital to take into account the negative impact of EU legislation on developing countries, that such countries must be given both financial assistance and training to change agricultural practices.

Identifying problems in Central and Eastern Europe
NGOs from CEE countries were strongly represented at the conference. Central to the conference agenda was the need to identify pesticide problems and possible solutions in the CEE and ways to improve opportunities for NGOs in the region to participate in national and European pesticides policy making. Currently chemical usage amongst small farmers is low in CEE countries, largely due to financial constraints. Participants agreed that this ‘window of opportunity’ must not be lost. However, chemicals are used on larger farms, in Hungary less than one percent (47,000 hectares) of the total acreage is organically farmed. The safe disposal of obsolete pesticides was highlighted as a priority – approximately 20,000 tonnes in the Ukraine alone, resulting in severe water pollution problems. CEE NGOs are questioning whether there is a link between high child mortality rates, newborn abnormalities and chemical usage. NGOs were urged to question states and challenge them to provide useful information, and urge ministries to act.

PAN Partners working together
Further outcomes from the conference were a decision to produce a guidebook for farmers on reducing pesticide usage; increase training opportunities for growers and push for ratification of the POPs convention. 
    Thirty-nine organisations have become PAN Europe partners, representatives from these organisations identified areas of collaboration, working together to reduce pesticide hazards and promote sustainable alternatives.

For more information contact: Ute Meyer, PAN Europe Co-ordinator, Nernstweg 32
D-22765 Hamburg, Tel. +49-421-27 60 264, Fax +49-40-360 30 38 40, coordinator@pan-europe.net, www.pan-europe.net

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 54, December 2001, page 16]