NGOs mobilise across Europe to call for stronger safeguards in EU pesticide reform

A growing coalition of environmental organisations is stepping up efforts to oppose the European Commission’s proposed Food and Feed Omnibus, warning that the package could significantly weaken existing protections for health, biodiversity and food systems.

At the heart of the concern is a shift in policy direction: measures presented as simplification and competitiveness risk translating into deregulation, particularly in the areas of pesticides, environmental safeguards and food safety. For BeeLife and many civil society groups, this comes at precisely the wrong time — as pollinator decline accelerates and citizens’ calls for safer, more sustainable agriculture continue to be insufficiently addressed.

A coordinated response from civil society

In response, NGOs across Europe are launching and promoting a wave of petitions aimed at mobilising citizens and putting pressure on decision-makers.

Among the most prominent is the #HandsOffNature campaign led by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), BirdLife and others, which calls on EU leaders to defend environmental protections against what it describes as a systematic rollback driven by industrial interests.

The platform WeMove Europe has launched a petition urging the European Commission to halt plans that would weaken food safety and pesticide rules, framing the issue as a democratic concern as well as an environmental one.

Another key initiative is the campaign “For Health, Bees and Farmers”, supported by more than 40 organisations including BeeLife, PAN Europe, Friends of The Earth Europe (FoEE) and WWF. The campaign seeks to bring citizens’ voices back into the debate, recalling that over 1.1 million Europeans previously supported the Save Bees and Farmers initiative calling for reduced pesticide use and stronger protections. In this context, BeeLife has launched a dedicated section on its website -  to bring together these initiatives, offering an overview of the most relevant petitions and enabling citizens across Europe to better understand and actively engage with issues that directly affect their health, environment and future. Discover more on the campaign page

Why now?

The mobilisation reflects a broader concern that the Omnibus proposal could:

• weaken science-based decision-making

• extend the use of harmful pesticide substances

• reduce safeguards for biodiversity, water and public health

As discussions on the Food and Feed Omnibus continue, the coming months are likely to prove decisive, not only for pesticide regulation, but for the broader direction of Europe’s environmental and agricultural policies.