EU MINISTERS FEAR DEADLY PESTICIDES COULD ENTER EU THROUGH MERCOSUR DEAL

A new report from the Left group in the European Parliament has found that circa 7000 tonnes of deadly pesticides which the EU exported to Mercosur countries in 2018-2019 have returned to the EU through food imports, the report argues. For example, in 2018, Argentina exported EUR71 million worth of pears and apples to the EU despite the fact that 14 of the pesticides prohibited for use in the EU are used in the cultivation of apples and pears in Argentina. The report argues that the EU-Mercosur Agreement will exacerbate this ongoing problem: “European chemical corporations dumping toxic pesticides into Mercosur countries, including many banned in the EU, will see their profits and impunity soar, as they exploit weaker or missing regulations and laws,” said Helmut Scholz, from DIE LINKE, Germany. We’d assess the issue with insight from experts and comments from legislators and stakeholders.