Belgium has granted permission for emergency use of an RNAi pesticide even though it's not approved at EU level

POLLINIS and Nature & Progrès Belgium have taken legal action and filed an appeal for annulment against the emergency authorisation of the genetically modified gene-silencing pesticide Calantha in Belgium.

Calantha is an RNAi (RNA interference, or gene-silencing) pesticide developed by the US company GreenLight Biosciences, containing Ledprona. Although this active substance is already on the market in the United States, it has been the subject of considerable criticism from various organisations, notably the NGO Center for Food Safety, due to concerns about its safety and its potential effects on non-target species. Ledprona is currently being assessed by the European authorities.

Whilst agrochemical companies, eager to enter the European market with their new RNA-interfering pesticide, did not wait for European approval and instead applied for an emergency exemption in Belgium, POLLINIS and the association Nature & Progrès Belgique are challenging this authorisation before the Belgian Council of State.

This action aims to have the emergency authorisation for Calantha revoked; Calantha is a novel type of genetically modified insecticide whose long-term environmental risks have not been assessed. This legal action serves as a vital democratic safeguard against a public decision that disregards environmental safety, in order to prevent such a scenario from occurring in France and elsewhere in Europe.

At the request of the US company GreenLight Biosciences, Belgium has granted a 120-day authorisation for Calantha, a product containing Ledprona, an active substance that is not, however, approved in Europe. This decision is based on Article 53 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, which allows for derogations in the event of an ‘emergency situation’.

However, the associations point out that the Colorado potato beetle does not constitute a special circumstance justifying emergency authorisation. This pest has been known for decades. Furthermore, there are other known methods, such as mechanical control measures. Trials carried out in Wallonia between 2024 and 2025 demonstrated that the population of Colorado potato beetles in crops can be reduced by 93% to 97%[1].

The issue extends beyond Belgium’s borders; the EU is using Article 53 of the regulation to authorise a pesticide containing a substance that has not yet been approved or assessed at European level. This distortion of the spirit of the text raises questions of principle: can an exemption be granted for a pesticide for which the risk assessment has not been completed?

“Genetic pesticides are based on a novel mode of action, which requires rigorous and appropriate assessment before they are placed on the market. For several years, POLLINIS has been warning of the environmental risks that this type of product could pose to non-target species, and in particular to pollinators. It is extremely worrying to note that the manufacturer has been granted an emergency exemption whilst the assessments – which are already inadequate as they stand – are still ongoing, and the urgency of the situation is highly questionable (potato growers are in the midst of an overproduction crisis). This decision amounts to a veritable power grab to impose genetically modified pesticides in Europe and should serve as a major wake-up call for France,” says Julie Sohier, Executive Director of POLLINIS.

“For years, Nature & Progrès has been condemning Belgium’s excessive use of emergency authorisations and has had to take the matter to the Council of State to put a stop to these illegal practices. The regulations impose a very strict framework for the use of emergency derogations, and the authorisation of Calantha in Belgium to combat the Colorado potato beetle does not meet any of these conditions: A range of preventive, mechanical and chemical alternatives exist to control this pest, and there are no specific circumstances that would justify the urgent use of this new product, over which so many uncertainties regarding its safety still hang,” says Virginie Pissoort, advocacy manager at Nature & Progrès.

POLLINIS and Nature & Progrès Belgium are calling for this authorisation to be revoked. If this authorisation is upheld, it could pave the way for exemptions for this type of pesticide in other Member States, and on a recurring basis in the absence of approval at European level. The objectives of the current regulatory framework – that the situation must be exceptional and the derogation a last resort – must be respected. It is essential that no EU country authorises pesticides whose active substance has not undergone a finalised risk assessment and has not yet been approved.

Calantha is an RNAi (RNA interference) pesticide developed by the US company GreenLight Biosciences, containing Ledprona. Although this active substance is already on the market in the United States, it has been the subject of considerable criticism from various organisations, notably the NGO Center for Food Safety, due to concerns about its safety and its potential effects on non-target species. Ledprona is currently being assessed by the European authorities.

For more on the risks of RNAi interference (gene-silencing) pesticides, see this report. Those risks include the possibility that humans or other animals that are exposed to such pesticides could have their genes silenced, with unpredictable but potentially lethal consequences.

Note

1 Reseauwallonpac, DORYPOT - Lutte mécanique contre le doryphore de la pomme de terre, 5 Feb 2026. 

Source: Pollinis

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