Pesticides: ENVI Committee rejects the objection to the regulation approving pydiflumetofen as substitute

The ENVI Committee of the European Parliament rejected the objection to the Commission implementing regulation approving the active substance pydiflumetofen as a candidate for substitution, on 05/05/2026, during an ordinary session in Brussels. 45 members voted against, 39 in favour and 1 member abstained.

According to the rapporteur Christophe Clergeau (S&D), this fungicide is "a suspected carcinogen, toxic and persistent in the environment. Why approve a new active ingredient that is already a candidate for substitution, when we already have numerous products on the market?"

Almut Bitterhof, chief of the pesticides and biocides unit at DG Sante, pointed out that "the draft regulation is still under discussion among the Member States, and no decisions have yet been taken on this matter".

However, she added that "the European Food Safety Authority's conclusions, which form the basis for our risk management decisions, did not identify any critical areas of concern. They did not highlight any issues serious enough to justify a ban on this substance, nor does it meet the exclusion…