EU targets imports with pesticide ban following Trump model
The European Union plans to stop the import of food products containing banned pesticides, reports the British newspaper "Financial Times" on Sunday. The paper adds that Brussels is modeling its policy on that of U.S. President Donald Trump, noting that American farmers would feel the impact.
The European Union is preparing to implement a ban on the import of certain food products that contain pesticides banned within the Community. According to "Financial Times," this decision is inspired by Donald Trump's policy.
Brussels is set to tackle this issue in the coming week. The ban could affect American crops such as soybeans, which are grown using pesticides not permitted in the EU.
The Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Oliver Varhelyi, as "FT" reminds us, emphasized in an interview with the paper last month that products banned in the Union should not be imported, even if they are legal in the countries of origin.
Pesticides under scrutiny
The EU prohibits the use of many pesticides, even though its health agency recognizes that consuming some of them in small amounts is safe.
Varhelyi noted that carcinogenic substances, mutagens, and those disrupting the endocrine system should not enter the EU in imported food. An example is paraquat, a herbicide banned in the Union but used in the USA.
According to a report by Pesticide Action Network Europe, tea and coffee are most often contaminated with banned pesticides. Nearly 25% of tea samples from India and 17% from China contained prohibited residues.
The European Union also plans to include higher animal welfare standards in future trade agreements. Regulations regarding the amount of space for chickens and calves and the cleanliness of living quarters increase costs for farmers, as "Financial Times" highlights.
