Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-03-27-Speech-4-143"
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"en.20030327.3.4-143"2
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".
Agriculture in the European Union is increasingly dependent on pesticides (327 000 tonnes in 1999). Although we understand the importance of these substances in controlling pests, the fact is that alternatives do exist, particularly in organic farming. Although it is believed that there can be no profitable agriculture without the intensive use of pesticides, this is only true if the environmental cost of all products is included in their final price. Pesticides, however, entail enormous costs to the environment, such as the contamination of groundwater and the loss of biodiversity and costs to human health, such as endocrine disruption, infertility and cancer. It is worth recalling that, according to the WHO, every year pesticides cause disease in 3 million people and the deaths of 220 000 throughout the world. I therefore welcome this Communication by the European Commission and the report by Mrs Van Brempt, intended to ensure that European legislation on the use of pesticides is revised. In this future legislation it is crucial that targets are defined, as well as timetables and means to ensure compliance with the objective of achieving a 50% reduction in the use of pesticides in the EU by 2010."@en1
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