The Bitchel Committee

Report of the sub-committee on the environment and health.

Abstract:
The Sub-committee for Environment and Health found a wide range of health and environmental impacts from pesticides that are now banned. On this basis, the sub-committee also found that our knowledge about impacts is constantly increasing, so substances that are at present regarded as safe may be viewed differently in the future. Experience to date thus confirms that pesticides should only be used with great caution. The sub-committee also ascertained a number of impacts from the use of pesticides on both the terrestrial and the aquatic environment, but did not find any health effects on the population in general from currently authorised pesticides. The sub-committee identified various lacunae in our knowledge that make it difficult to calculate the consequences of phasing out the use of pesticides. The sub-committee therefore had to limit the actual analysis of consequences to the few impacts about which there was sufficient background information. The sub-committee also considered how the environment and health could be protected still further and, in that connection, indicated various areas for action.

Abstract in Danish:
Underudvalget om miljø og sundhed har konstateret en lang række sundheds- og miljømæssige effekter af pesticider, der nu er forbudte. Udvalget har på baggrund af dette også konstateret, at vor viden om effekter hele tiden udvides, så de stoffer, vi på nuværende tidspunkt anser for sikre, i fremtiden måske vil blive vurderet anderledes. De hidtidige erfaringer bekræfter således at pesticider kun bør anvendes under udvisning af stor forsigtighed. Der er i øvrigt konstateret en række effekter af pesticidanvendelsen på såvel det terrestriske som det akvatiske miljø, mens der ikke er konstateret sundhedsmæssige effekter på befolkningen som helhed af de pesticider, der er godkendt på nuværende tidspunkt. Der er afdækket en række huller i vor viden, der gør det vanskeligt at beregne konsekvenser af en afvikling af pesticidanvendelsen. Underudvalget har derfor måttet afgrænse de egentlige konsekvensberegninger til det fåtal effekter, hvor der er tilstrækkeligt med baggrundsinformation. Underudvalget har også vurderet, hvordan miljø og sundhed yderligere kan beskyttes og har i den forbindelse peget på forskellige indsatsområder.

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