As the European Union prepares to vote on legislative changes that could relax rules governing pesticides, scientists and those suffering from pesticide-related illnesses are raising alarms about potential dangers to public health and the environment.
For former beekeeper José Nadan, the risks are personal. Working in Brittany’s Morbihan region, Nadan sprayed orchards with a chemical marketed as organic and harmless. “The sales reps even said it was so safe you could drink it,” recalled the 69-year-old, who sprayed without protective gear. He later learned the product contained glyphosate. Six years ago, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, a condition France’s agricultural social security system has officially recognized as an occupational hazard.
Nadan’s experience reflects a broader crisis. Pesticides have been linked to cancers, respiratory diseases, neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular issues, and infertility. A 2023 study spanning ten European nations found pesticide residues in 100% of air, indoor dust, and water samples tested.
Retired doctor Edmond Leduc, who has lived near intensively farmed fields in northern France for 44 years, was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2018 and prostate cancer this August—both conditions associated with pesticide exposure. Like Nadan, Leduc admitted to early carelessness regarding toxic exposure.
France remains one of Europe’s largest consumers of these chemicals. Consequently, requests for compensation from agricultural workers have surged from 318 in 2024 to 975 in 2025.
The ‘Safety Lock’ at Risk
Despite having a multi-layered assessment system based on hazard rather than just exposure levels, regulatory delays often slow the approval process. To streamline procedures, the European Commission proposed the Omnibus X package, which would amend ten existing laws covering pesticides, biocides, and food residues.
A central element of the proposal is the elimination of periodic re-evaluations for approved pesticides. Currently, approvals expire on set dates, requiring manufacturers to prove continued safety. Removing this requirement would allow products to remain on the market by default unless regulators actively move to ban them.
Ecotoxicologist Martina Vijver described the current re-evaluation process as a crucial “safety lock.” She pointed to chlorpyrifos, an insecticide approved in 2006 that was only banned after a seven-year regulatory battle concluded in January 2020. The European Food Safety Authority had determined no safe exposure level existed due to the chemical’s impact on neurological, reproductive, and immune systems, as well as its link to neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
“If a substance is neurotoxic for insects… that same neurotoxicity could apply to humans,” Vijver explained. She warned that without mandatory reviews, the burden would shift to doctors, scientists, or the public to identify harmful substances after they are already in use.
Industry and Opposition
The proposed legislation would also extend the grace period for farmers to substitute banned pesticides from 18 months to three years and loosen conditions for the exceptional use of banned substances, including endocrine disruptors. The EU Council maintains the changes will not compromise food safety or environmental protection.
In response, Vijver co-authored an open letter signed by 573 experts from fields including medicine and environmental protection, urging the European Parliament to pause the vote until an independent impact assessment is conducted.
“As scientists, we are really worried. I would never have done this if I wasn’t really worried,” Vijver said.
Meanwhile, victims have taken to the streets. Last weekend, approximately 8,000 demonstrators, including cancer sufferers, farmers, doctors, and activists, marched outside a Syngenta factory in northern France. Among them was Fleur Breteau, founder of the Cancer Colère collective, highlighting the growing public outcry against what many view as a rollback of essential health protections.
The vote on Omnibus X is expected at the end of October.
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