EU Lawmakers Reject Pesticide Reduction Proposal

The decision comes less than a week after the controversial herbicide glyphosate's use was extended for 10 more years.

EU lawmakers rejected a proposal to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030 and to ban all pesticide use in areas such as public parks, playgrounds, and schools.
The bill was rejected in a 299 to 207 vote, with 121 abstentions, effectively burying the bill for good.
The vote came less than a week after the use of the controversial chemical herbicide glyphosate in the 27-nation bloc was extended for 10 more years.
The European Commission had previously stated that current rules limiting the use of pesticides were too weak and had not been applied consistently across the EU.
The EU’s main agricultural group, COPA-COGECA, welcomed the rejection of the bill and called for an improved dialogue between farmers and the 27-nation bloc’s institutions.