EU Commission proposes cutting pesticides by half by 2030

A bee arrives at a sunflower under blue sky in Gelsenkirchen, Germany (Martin Meissner/AP)

The European Union’s executive arm has proposed setting legally binding targets to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030 and a ban on all pesticide use in areas such public parks, playgrounds and schools.

A study by the group Pesticide Action Network Europe last month said the contamination of fruit and vegetables produced in the EU with the most toxic pesticides has substantially increased over the past decade.