EU Withdraws Push to Cut Pesticide Use After Farmer Protests
Bulgarian farmers pour milk on burning hay during protests in Sofia (Valentina Petrova/AP)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she will withdraw a plan to halve the use of pesticides because it became a "symbol of polarization" following protests by farmers across Europe.
The European Union's executive arm in June 2022 proposed a regulation to slash pesticide use by 50% until 2030 as part of a plan to make farming more sustainable, but the European Parliament voted it down. Fears over falling crop yields and doubts over the ability of farmers to find substitutes and meet targets outweighed concerns about the environmental impact of pesticides.
