Four-language push to link pesticide use and cancer prevention

The Health and Environment Alliance is launching a multi-country, multi-language website today to strengthen the impact of its Sick of Pesticides campaign. (1) The groups responsible for carrying out activities in the partner countries will have their first European network meeting in Brussels at the HEAL office on Tuesday, 30 November 2010.

The campaign, launched in 2008, aims to raise public awareness that reducing pesticide use could help reduce cancer rates in Europe, encourage pesticide-free public spaces, and support countries in the setting up of national action plans for pesticide use reduction by 2012 in accordance with EU regulations.

The multi-language website versions reflect the country groups most active in the campaign at national level, namely:

BELGIUM: Inter Environnement Wallonie is responsible for new activities in Belgium and the French Belgian website sections. A national workshop will take place in December 2010. Cities in Belgium which have already banned pesticide use in streets, parks and cemeteries include Grobbendonk, Hasselt, Ghent, Eupen and Rochefort.

FRANCE: MDRGF (Mouvement pour le droit et le respect des Generations Futures) are campaign partners in France. They have today published a press release drawing the public's attention to pesticides and the environmental causes of cancer. France's version of the campaign website will be linked to MDRGF's "Environnement-et-pesticides" website when it is launched on 15 November 2010.

HUNGARY: Clean Air Action Group in Hungary provided input for the Hungarian version of the website. They will kick off the series of national workshops with a meeting in Budapest in November 2010.

NETHERLANDS: Leefmilieu is country partner in the Netherlands, provided information for the website in Dutch and is planning a national workshop on 12 November. Leefmilieu also sent a letter to all Dutch municipalities to raise awareness on pesticides and health and to ask which municipalities already work pesticide-free.

HEAL also closely collaborates with Pesticide Action Network PAN UK and PAN Europe. PAN Europe recently produced guide on the sustainable use of pesticides to support EU member states in the production of their National Action Plans (NAP).

The workshop in Brussels on 30 November 2010 will review achievements, including in pesticide-free public areas, and gather updates on national action plans. It will also provide opportunities for network participants to meet with sympathetic MEPs to help move the agenda forward.

Notes for journalists

1. The multi-lingual, multi-country "Pesticides and Cancer" website is available atwww.pesticidescancer.eu. There is also a Sick of Pesticides Group of more than 500 followers on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sick-of-Pesticides/38411248553?ref=ts