2019-06-17
BRUSSELS - Residues of Chlorpyrifos, a dangerous insecticide, have been found in fruit baskets and samples of human urine across Europe. Chlorpyrifos is a chemical that kills insects on growing vegetables and fruit. The series of stories, funded by Journalismfund Europe, uncover its effect on adults and children, the spread of the pesticide in different foods, the legal battle in European Union and the fact that it has been banned in more and more countries, but cannot be completely avoided.
Following the publication of the story in different media organisations in Europe, EU experts and staff at the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) published an unprecedented statement on the controversial pesticides, saying the pesticides do not meet the criteria for renewed approval. The announcement was made on the 2nd of August 2019. The present approvals for the pesticide expire in January 2020.
In December 2020 the EU banned the insecticides chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-methyl from the market. The two products were supposed to get their market approval renewed in January 2020, but an investigation supported by our European Cross-Border Grant programme decided otherwise. In total, this investigation produced more than original 16 stories in more than 6 countries.
A major manufacturer of the insecticide chlorpyrifos Corteva Inc will stop making the chemical at the end of 2020 Journalismfund-supported cross-border investigative team of journalists from Poland, Denmark and Slovenia made their own contribution into the story.
After this year, farmers will not be allowed to use this agricultural pesticide.
Read the full story here.
