Pesticides: PAN Europe and Nature et Progrès take Belgium to court for "abusing the derogation system"

PAN Europe and Nature et Progrès are taking Belgium to court for "once again abusing the derogation system" for Spirotetramat, a pesticide for which there is strong scientific evidence of endocrine disruption. These derogations are not in line with EU Law", say the NGOs on 17/06/2026.

"A series of scientific publications point towards the endocrine-disrupting properties of the substance. In 2023, an EU Court ruling established that Member States are not allowed to provide derogations to pesticides already banned for health or environmental reasons", specify the organisations.

However, "Belgium is providing numerous derogations that are not in line with the law. Despite a past judgement from the Belgian Council of State, the administration continues providing such derogations to very toxic pesticides, such as Spirotetramate", adds Virginie Pissort, lawyer at Nature et Progrès.

According to Martin Dermine, executive director of PAN Europe, "it is a strategy from the industry to not reapply, or to withdraw their application for re-approval during the procedure, to avoid a formal ban in…