After France, Poland has introduced a temporary ban on imports of fruits and vegetables containing traces of four pesticides prohibited in the EU, aiming to prompt action from the European Commission at the EU level.
Polish Agriculture Minister Stefan Krajewski and Health Minister Jolanta Sobierańska-Grenda signed a regulation prohibiting imports of products containing residues of thiophanate-methyl, carbendazim, benomyl, and glufosinate. EU institutions are already progressing toward banning residues of three of these substances.
The measure is positioned as protection for domestic growers against competition from third countries and comes as the EU-Mercosur agreement enters provisional application.
In January, France adopted a similar decree, including mancozeb. As in France, the Polish regulation applies to specific products, including tropical fruits such as mangoes and papayas. The rules do not apply to all imports. For example, glufosinate-related restrictions are limited to selected products such as potatoes and do not extend broadly to cereals used for animal feed.
Former EU agriculture commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski noted that affected products may still enter the EU market and "take away space for Polish agricultural exports".
Croplife Europe has raised concerns about national measures. "Where national restrictions are introduced without a clear risk-based justification, it jeopardises the Single Market and creates uncertainty for operators and supply chains," a spokesperson said.
Message to Brussels
Both France and Poland have set a one-year timeframe for these measures. France is considering extending restrictions to all EU-prohibited substances. The measures are seen as a signal to Brussels, where the Commission has committed to expanding restrictions but has not yet implemented them.
In February 2025, EU agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen stated the intention to "establish a principle that the most hazardous pesticides banned in the EU for health and environmental reasons are not allowed back into the EU through imported products". Health commissioner Olivér Várhelyi reiterated this position in proposals on food and feed safety and during discussions with the European Parliament.
The Commission is awaiting the outcome of a study on the trade impact of these measures, expected by the summer.
Source: Euractiv
