As EU member states, regional and local authorities prepare to implement the revised Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD), this briefing by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) argues that decision-makers and authorities should pay particular attention to addressing socio-economic inequalities in their clean air efforts. The swift transposition and implementation of the new rules, with strengthened administrative collaboration and the full utilisation of financial support schemes, promise significant progress towards cleaner air across Europe. Improved air quality will be beneficial to everyone and contribute to preventing health inequalities for those living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.
Flufenacet, a top-selling pesticide, is harmful to humans and the environment, according to the latest scientific opinion of the EU Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The herbicide acts as an endocrine disruptor, affects brain development and releases the major water contaminant, Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA). Its widespread use on common crops puts both farmers and consumers at risk. A coalition of 49 environmental and health organisations is now urging the European Commission and EU member states to immediately ban flufenacet in a joint letter.
Read here the letter to the European Commission
Read here the letter to EU member states
The 49 organisations are calling to use all regulatory pathways to prohibit the substance as quickly as possible. This includes adopting a non-renewal regulation at the upcoming Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed meeting in December 2024, and initiating procedures to withdraw all the national authorisation of flufenacet-based products. Given the significant risks posed by the substance, the coalition insists that no grace period be granted for the sale or use of flufenacet products:
According to the conclusions of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), flufenacet is an endocrine disruptor, with the potential to impact the developing brain in children and therefore does not meet the approval criteria set out in the Pesticide Regulation 1107/2009. It is also a per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) and an important source of emission of Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA), an ultra-short PFAS that is now detected even in our most pristine water resources.
The upcoming Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food, and Feed (SCoPAFF) meeting on 4 and 5 December presents a critical opportunity to act in the best interest of EU citizens, especially vulnerable groups such as young children, and of the environment. We call upon the Commission to present a proposal for the non-renewal of flufenacet to the Member States and work towards its prompt adoption.
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