Report: pesticide firms withheld studies on harmful effects
Four pesticide manufacturers, including Swiss-based Syngenta, for years withheld studies showing potential harmful effects of certain products, an investigative journalism team has revealed.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SRF/dos
A total of nine pesticides were subject to so-called DNT studies by the manufacturers in the 2000s, whose results were not submitted to European Union (EU), wrote Swiss public media SRFExternal link on Thursday.
SRF collaborated on the journalistic research with the Bayerischer Rundfunk, Spiegel (both Germany), the Guardian (UK), and Le Monde (France) media outlets.
The Swiss broadcaster said one of the pesticides was “Vertimec Gold”, an emergency pest-killer used on crops and which contains the abamectin insecticide.
In spring this year, the EU renewed the approval for abamectin, but restricted its use further, based on Syngenta studies from 2005 and 2007 – which only recently came to light – showing adverse effects of the chemical on rats.
Switzerland is currently examining whether to correspondingly tighten its rules on abamectin.
More
More
Voters reject pesticide-free farming proposals
This content was published on
Over 60% of Swiss voters have thrown out a pair of initiatives aiming to ban the use of synthetic pesticides in the country.
According to the journalists, and to a Swedish medical researcher who first uncovered the missing tests, there has been an obligation under EU law to report all available adverse data on products since the early 1990s.
Internal EU documents seen by the journalists suggest officials in Brussels have “serious concerns” about the missing studies.
Syngenta told SRF it had not infringed any obligations, and that the studies in question were done to satisfy demands of US regulators, before being subsequently required by EU authorities. The company added that the studies did not raise any new adverse findings.
The pesticide manufacturers involved also include Germany’s Bayer, Japan’s IKS and Nissan Chemical Corporation.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Swiss study: insects mainly migrate at midday and dusk
This content was published on
A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne is helping to better understand the movement patterns of migratory insects.
Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October
This content was published on
The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
Dortmund’s Kobel is first Swiss goalie in Champions League final
This content was published on
Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel has achieved history by becoming the first Swiss goalkeeper to reach a Champion’s League final.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.