EU's Push to Halve Pesticide Use Collapses After Parliament Balks
Tractor spraying a field of wheat (Getty Images)
The European Union's plan to halve the use of pesticides collapsed as lawmakers concerned about ambitious targets dealt another blow to the bloc's green agenda.
On the proposal's first reading in the European Parliament, 299 lawmakers voted against a 50% reduction of pesticide use in the EU by 2030, with just 207 in favour of rules that were central to making farming more sustainable. The result drew applause from lawmakers of the center-right European People's Party, which has repeatedly warned against laws that jeopardize food security.
