Concerns about the introduction of unlimited approval periods for most active pesticide substances, which would weaken their regular scientific re-evaluation and reduce the level of protection of human health and the environment, are expressed by environmental bodies and scientists.
In a joint letter-intervention to the President of the Republic and the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, scientists and environmental organizations express their strong concern about the stance taken by Cyprus, which holds the European Presidency this semester, towards the highly controversial European proposal "Food and Feed Safety Simplification Omnibus" (Pesticide Omnibus).
The proposal, which is currently being discussed in the Council of Members, aims to simplify the procedures for approving pesticides. However, behind the terminology of simplification is hidden, according to experts, the introduction of unlimited time approval for most active pesticide substances (forever chemicals). Such a development would effectively abolish their regular scientific reassessment, weakening the EU's protective framework.
The European Commission's rationale for promoting these measures is based on the fact that thorough examinations by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) are time-consuming. This has resulted in a huge volume of about 200 applications that are delayed to be considered.
However, instead of solving this administrative problem by administrative means, the Commission is trying to deal with it with scientific regulations that may directly affect the health of citizens.
Information from the organizations states that the Cyprus Presidency, in its desire to show work and launch the closure of the issue within its six-month period, seems willing to accept the Commission's positions and consent to these dangerous simplifications.
The intervention, which is signed by Professor Konstantinos Makris, director of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences of CUT, Artemis Giordamli, managing director of the Laona Foundation and Antonia Christou, president of Friends of the Earth Cyprus, sounds the alarm about the data that apply especially in Cyprus.
It is noted that at the recent Workshop on Pesticides (February 2026), organized by the Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health of CUT in collaboration with the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe, it was emphasized that the intense use of pesticides on the island is associated with cancers, neurological diseases and negative effects on children's development.
Cyprus, together with Bulgaria, records the highest number of violations in the use of pesticides in Europe based on EFSA data.
Despite the EU's targets to reduce their use, Cyprus is experiencing serious gaps in controls, limited implementation of sustainable practices, lack of a comprehensive national strategy and desperately slow progress on proposals for the creation of a national pesticide registry.
The letter notes that "substances banned within the EU continue to be exported to third countries and then re-imported into Europe through food". This practice establishes double standards for consumer safety, while, at the same time, it creates unfair competition to the detriment of European and Cypriot farmers who comply with the strict rules.
