Europe’s Banned Pesticides: A Trade of Toxic Loopholes

Despite Europe having the strictest pesticide regulations globally, toxic chemicals prohibited in the EU due to health and environmental concerns are still being exported to other countries, often less affluent ones. Laurent Gaberell from the NGO Public Eye highlights this as a significant breach of global justice. Recent findings by Public Eye and Greenpeace UK’s Unearthed unit indicate that Germany’s banned pesticide exports nearly doubled in 2022, with the government considering legislation against such practices. France and Belgium have already taken steps against this double standard. Switzerland banned the export of five hazardous pesticides since 2021. However, each country’s ban has its unique challenges and loopholes. In 2022, over 18,000 tonnes of forbidden pesticides were set to be exported from Germany, with Syngenta, an agrochemical giant, possibly shifting some exports to Germany from France and Belgium. Activists argue for a unified EU approach to eliminate these trade loopholes effectively.