Pesticide-free towns: Belgium on the move

Opinion by Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe)

Today (10 June), Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe) has together with Local  Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), Velt, Inter-Environment Bruxelles,  Greenpeace Belgium, Inter-Environnement Wallonie, Natagora, Adalia, Pôle de Gestion  Differenciée and Apis bruoc Sella from all three regions of Belgium, has organized the  first ever conference on pesticide-free towns, assisting towns on the move.

Pesticides are not only used to produce food but also in places where people live and work  including: in parks, schools, playgrounds, on sidewalks, sport clubs, cemeteries etc. Thus,  people, including young children, babies and even pets are exposed to these toxic chemicals  during their daily activities against their will.

In recent years, a positive movement regarding pesticide use in towns is happening, as more  and more member states are deciding to make public areas pesticides free, including all three  Belgium regions (Flanders, Wallonia and the Region of Brussels), France and Netherlands,  following the objective which was set already 20 years ago in Denmark.

PAN Europe welcomes this development which we are following very closely (see footnote  1) and as we are Brussels based we have found it completely logical to contribute to this years  organic week (2) by organizing jointly with a number of Belgium NGOs (3) the first ever  high-level symposium on ‘pesticide free town – Belgium on the move’, allowing exchanges  of experiences between the different Belgium regions, but also sharing experience with  France and the Netherlands.

Around 100 participants, mainly political and administrative representatives from Belgium  towns and municipalities, took part in today’s event held in IBGE in Brussels, presenting  front running towns and municipalities giving a special emphasis to more technical matter on  a topic that keeps on coming back in the debate: alternatives ways of fighting invasive species  in areas where pesticides no longer can be used (4).

Peter Defranceschi, head of ICLEI Brussels Office said: "It's impressive how committed  national and local governments and citizens are to pesticides free transformation. From a small Italian municipality where most of the inhabitants voted against pesticides on health  grounds to the 'Bee Plan' in Genk to national targets, the pesticide free movement is visibly  growing in Europe."

Rien Klippel, Waterschap Zeeland, Netherlands, added: "Belgium towns could help solving the  Dutch problems: When pesticide use in Belgium goes down, it will be easier in the  Netherlands to overcome its drinking water problems"

Footnotes

(1) For an overview of progress on pesticides free towns in Belgium, France, and Denmark, click here.
(2) Click here.
(3) The other NGOs are: Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), Velt, Inter-Environment Bruxelles, Greenpeace Belgium, Inter-Environnement Wallonie, Natagora,  Adalia, Pole de Gestion Differenciée and Apis bruoc Sella.
(4) All presentations are available here. 

Language specific information

English 
Flemish/Netherlands
French

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