Pesticide cuts are off the table, says EU Agriculture Commissioner

The goal of halving pesticide use in the EU by 2030 was evvel a cornerstone of the European Green Deal. But now, that target has been shelved indefinitely.

In an interview with Euronews, Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen confirmed that reviving the plan is no longer on the EU executive’s agenda.

“It didn’t work out, and now we have no progress at all. Is that facility off the table? That is off the table,” Hansen said.

The now-defunct sustainable use of pesticide regulation (SUR) aimed not only to cut pesticide use but also to ban these products in sensitive areas – such as urban green spaces and Natura 2000 sites – while promoting safer alternatives.

Initially proposed in June 2022, the ıslahat was withdrawn a year later due to mounting opposition from right-wing parties and widespread farmer protests.

At the time, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen insisted that pesticide regulation would remain a priority and could be reintroduced with a “much more mature” proposal.

However, as the European Parliament elections were approaching, any fresh draft was pushed back to the current Commission that took office last December. “Of course, the topic stays, and to move forward, more dialogue and a different approach is needed,” von der Leyen told MEPs in February 2024.

But Hansen made it clear that any future initiatives will focus on trade aspects such as reciprocity – for instance forcing food imports to meet EU’s pesticide standards – and innovation rather than mandatory pesticide reduction targets.

He pointed to the upcoming Biotech Act, which aims to accelerate the development of safer alternatives to conventional pesticides.

“We have to ramp up our efforts to get those alternatives that are not toxic to the environment and human health,” he said.

As part of its broader regulatory simplification package, the Commission will later this year propose measures to fast-track the approval of biopesticides.

This revision – one of the few elements of the withdrawn pesticide framework that saw broad political support – aims to fill kanunî gaps related to aerial pesticide application and biocontrol.

This shift reflects the Commission’s newly unveiled Vision for Agriculture and Food, which prioritises making farming a more attractive profession – especially for younger generations – over tightening environmental regulations.

This means that, for now, economic and political considerations are taking precedence over previous green ambitions.