About the targets
In 2020, the European Commission announced two non-legally binding “pesticide reduction targets”: a 50% reduction in the use and risk of chemical pesticides and a 50% reduction in the use of most hazardous pesticides. Each year, the Commission publishes progress at European Union level towards meeting both targets.
Background information: how is progress being measured?
Target 1 - 50% reduction in use and risk of chemical pesticides
This target is measured compared to a 2015-2017 baseline and is based on:
- the quantities of active substances contained in the plant protection products (PPPs) which are placed on the market in each Member State, and
- the hazard properties of these active substances
The baseline is set at 100, representing the average index value calculated for the period 2015–2017.
Target 2 - 50% reduction in the use of most hazardous pesticides
This target is measured compared to a 2015-2017 baseline using data on the quantities of more hazardous active substances, the so called ‘candidates for substitution’, contained in the PPPs which are placed on the market in each Member State.
In the context of these targets, more hazardous pesticides are PPPs containing one or more active substances approved as candidates for substitution in accordance with Article 24 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 and listed in Part E of the Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011, or containing one or more active substances listed in the Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/408.
Data on the sales of pesticides
Eurostat annually publishes EU-level data on the sales of pesticides showing the sales of different categories.