European Union to reduce 50% of the use of chemical pesticides

A New Initiative to Stop the Production with the Most Toxic Pesticides

The European Union's executive proposed setting legal targets to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030 and ban all pesticide use in playgrounds, public parks, and schools.

A study by Pesticide Action Network Europe said the contamination of vegetables and fruits produced with the most toxic pesticides has substantially increased over the past decade in European Union. An extreme drop in the bee population has been seen in recent years. The proposed step comprises plans to stop the drop of pollinators by 2030 and then improve their population. About 84% of crop species and 78% of wildflowers across the EU depend on pollination, and almost 16.5 billion dollars "is directly attributed to insect pollinators" of the bloc's annual agricultural output.

Frans Timmermans, Commission Vice President, said, "When we restore nature, we allow it to continue providing clean air, water, and food, enabling it to shield us from the worst climate crisis. Reducing pesticide use likewise helps nature recover and protects the humans who work with these chemicals."

The European Commission said that the farmers could use funds from the EU to cover the cost of the new requirements to facilitate the transition to an alternative method from chemical pesticides.