The Greens in the European Parliament are calling for a committee of inquiry to examine how chemical companies deal with studies on the effects of pesticides. This was said by the co-chairman of the Greens in the European Parliament, Terry Reintke, on Monday evening.
A few weeks ago, two researchers from Stockholm University reported in the journal “Environmental Health” that manufacturers had submitted some pesticide studies to the US Environmental Protection Agency, but not to the European regulatory authorities. This involves studies on the question of whether active substances can damage the developing nervous system. Some of the results could therefore have influenced the approval process. The Bayer and Syngenta groups were named in the specialist article.
“Bayer stands for transparency and we therefore welcome the opportunity to answer questions from members of the European Parliament,” the company said in response to the Greens’ request. After the specialist article by the two researchers became known, Bayer had already announced: “We always submitted the necessary studies that were required by the regulations at the time.” The company also emphasized that the studies mentioned had not changed the risk assessment of the authorities. Syngenta, based in Basel, pointed out that different studies would be required in the EU than in the USA.
“The profit interests of large corporations must never outweigh human health, biodiversity and the basics of our nutrition,” said Green politician Reintke. The industry must not fool the EU authorities.
