New EDC rules for pesticides but neonic vote shelved

Government delegates endorsed on Wednesday a revised set of criteria for identifying endocrine disrupting chemicals in plant protection products but shelved a vote on a European Commission proposal to ban the use of three neonicotinoid pesticides linked to drastic falls in populations of bees and other pollinators.

“Once implemented, the text will ensure that any active substance used in pesticides which is identified as an endocrine disruptor for people or animals can be assessed and withdrawn from the market,” EU health commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said of the EDC legislation.