EU failure to ban paraquat  

The European Union will allow continued sales of paraquat. But public interest groups, trade unions, and some Member States still want to see this herbicide banned.

Paraquat, one of the most dangerous and controversial herbicides in the world, will continue to be used in the EU. Member States on the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health took the weaker option when considering to add paraquat to the active ingredients’ list authorised by the EU. 
    A coalition of Trade Unions and environmental NGOs urged the European Commission to withdraw its proposal to include paraquat in the Annex 1 of the Pesticides Authorisation Directive 91/414. The coalition argued that workers and farmers around the world who are regularly exposed to the herbicide paraquat experience serious problems with their health. Paraquat is an extremely dangerous substance, which may cause severe and irreversible damage to humans. Its high toxicity and lack of antidote can lead to serious ill health, and even death. Studies also indicate that paraquat has adverse effects on hares and birds, and may accumulate in soil.
    ‘The Commission’s approval of paraquat for EU-wide marketing is irresponsible’, says John Hontelez, Secretary General of European Environmental Bureau (EEB). ‘We urgently need a general reform of Europe’s chemical policy which prevents serious or long-term damage to human health and environment.’
    Because of its acute toxicity, paraquat is already banned in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Hungary and Sweden, and seriously restricted in Germany. Malaysia has implemented a phased ban. 
    ‘Adding paraquat to the positive list will now allow greater use of this toxic substance and could force it back onto the market in countries where it is currently banned. It will also encourage its use in developing countries, despite the known dangers.’ says International Union of Food and Agricultural Workers Secretary General, Ron Oswald. 
    The European Commission is aware of the dangers of paraquat, but nevertheless has approved its use, ignoring a growing number of Member States who openly rejected an EU-wide approval of paraquat and postponing a vote at the last four Committee meetings. 
    Environmental NGOs and Trade Unions demand that the Commission takes note of the growing opposition to the approval of paraquat and reverses its decision, prioritising the protection of human health and the environment. (DB)

PAN Europe press release, Brussels, 3 October, 2003.

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 62, December 2003, page 18]