Dear Director General Gallina, Dear Director General Fink-Hooijer,
Through this letter, PAN Europe wishes to express its deep concern regarding the insufficient protection of non-target arthropods (NTAs) from the harmful effects of pesticides within the EU. The protection of NTAs is directly linked to the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity. Alarmingly, insect populations have rapidly declined in 25 years, a trend that scientists attribute primarily to agricultural intensification - particularly the widespread use of pesticides 1;2;3 . While we welcome the European Commission's decision to finally mandate EFSA to develop a new guidance document on NTAs in June 2024 4 (NTA guidelines), we would like to express our great concerns about the preparatory work EFSA has been conducting in this regard.