NGO sounds alarm on dichloropropene approval

Member state representatives meeting at the end of this month are likely to back the use of 1,3-dichloropropene, a pesticide and soil fumigant with unknown toxic effects, environmental NGO PAN-Europe has warned. The chemical is also known as telone.

Spain, Italy, Portugal and several other member states are pushing for excluding it from a list of banned substances in the 1991 pesticide directive. The Belgian presidency has proposed a compromise that would largely allow the substance's use, according to PAN-Europe. The NGO urges the EU executive to insist on a ban.