A troubling investigation has uncovered how outdated pesticide rules threaten the bugs we rely on for food production and healthy ecosystems, Euronews reported.
What's happening?
A new report from the Pesticide Action Network Europe reveals that EU officials have failed to block a single pesticide under insect protection laws enacted 22 years ago.
Instead, they've approved dozens of harmful compounds by following guidelines written with input from major agrochemical companies.
"The guidelines give a green light to pesticides that cause staggering losses of insects, spiders, beetles, butterflies, and other arthropod bugs," Euronews reported.
The result? A 75% drop in insect numbers across some European regions over 25 years.
The situation could worsen. Internal documents show that the European Food Safety Authority hired industry consultants to draft new assessment methods favoring intensive farming — methods that may spread to guidelines for other wildlife categories.
Why are declining insect populations concerning?
Insects form the foundation of our food systems and natural world. Scientists point to intensive farming methods as the primary driver of their decline, with pesticides playing a significant role.
The new guidelines would strip protections from all insects on farmland, including plant-eating species that support food chains. They'd ignore how different pesticides interact, potentially making their effects thousands of times more severe. Plus, exposure tests would be limited to 48 hours, missing long-term impacts.
"Chemical lobbyists have somehow persuaded public officials to wave through pesticides that have wiped out vast numbers of bugs, including those needed for crop pollination, natural pest control and crop nutrition," PAN Europe Executive Director Martin Dermine said.
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All the time 😨 What's being done about harmful pesticides?
The European Court of Justice ruled that protecting nature takes priority over boosting crop production under pesticide law. PAN Europe will soon challenge the approval of glyphosate throughout Europe.
"The good news is that we've exposed [the guidelines], and there is still time to correct it," Dermine said. He believes industry consultants' work should be discarded, giving Europe a fresh chance to protect its insect populations.
The European Parliament and member governments can still intervene to strengthen protections. Their decisions could help preserve the creatures that keep our natural world in balance.
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