Promote a rigorous, harmonized and independent pesticide risk assessment across the EU, ensuring that evaluations fully consider:

• Impacts on human health.

• Impacts on pollinators and ecosystems.

• The combined or ‘cocktail’ effects of multiple pesticides.

To strengthen the scientific basis for regulation and decision-making, the EU should actively support and fund independent research, in close collaboration with public research institutions and scientific centres, such as the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre.

This initiative should also:

• Improve scientific expert training.

• Strengthen cooperation between public and private researchers.

• Increase transparency so that citizens can check which pesticides are present in products.

• Support the development of safer alternatives, including organic fertilisers.