More than one million EU citizens are calling for laws to phase out damaging pesticides and to help create bee-friendly farming.
The European Parliament today debated a European Citizens’ initiative called, "Save bees and farmers, towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment."
The initiative calls for synthetic pesticides to be phased out by 2035.
"More than 10,000 Irish people signed that petition," Waterford native and Green Party MEP, Grace O'Sullivan explained. "So, there's a real interest in Ireland that we move towards sustainable farming, that we move to increase biodiversity.
"That's why this petition has teeth.
"I would encourage people, that when they see these online petitions, to sign them, because when you get to one million citizens signing then the EU has to take action."
The initiative also demands support for farmers in the transition to more bee-friendly and environmentally safer farming practices, which MEP O'Sullivan says is vital.
"More than 1 million European citizens signed a petition to call on the European Union to actually take action," she said, "and to come up with legislation to reduce the amount of pesticides that are allowed to be used.
"Also, to cut out a particular type of chemical - what they call synthetic chemicals - these neonicotinoids and the glyphosates.
"[Regarding] the neonicotinoids, we know from reports that these are having a huge impact on polinators."
You can read more on the initiative here.
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