An EU court has ruled that the temporary extension of pesticide approvals may not be granted automatically or systematically due to delays in the safety reassessment process, and annulled the existing temporary approvals of boscalid, dimoxystrobin, and glyphosate.
An analysis conducted by Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe) raises concerns about trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a type of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), in European mineral waters, which are sourced from deep underground and are typically believed to be more protected from pollutants than other waters.
Pesticide residues were detected in 92 percent of conventionally grown Dutch strawberries, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other toxic chemicals were found in more than two-thirds of samples, according to a recent, small-scale study from Pesticide Action Network Netherlands.
Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is a highly pervasive type of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) in European tap and bottled water and its ubiquitous presence necessitates EU-wide safe drinking water limits, according to a report from Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe).
The EU Court of Justice has made three rulings that set a precedent requiring Member States to consider more modern, comprehensive scientific literature in their pesticide safety assessments.
PFAS are sometimes used in pesticides as active substances or co-formulants. An analysis of EU pesticide residue monitoring data by Pesticide Action Network Europe shows that the average proportion of produce containing PFAS pesticide residues in the EU has nearly tripled over the last decade.
