{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2019-1566/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2019-1566/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/2019/1566",
  "legislation_title": "Commission Decision (EU) 2019/1566 of 4 September 2019 on the proposed citizens' initiative entitled ‘Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment’ (notified under document C(2019) 6389) (Only the English text is authentic)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2019-1566",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Commission Decision (EU) 2019/1566\nof 4 September 2019\non the proposed citizens' initiative entitled ‘Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment’\n(notified under document C(2019) 6389)\n(Only the English text is authentic)\nTHE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,\nHaving regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,\nHaving regard to Regulation (EU) No 211/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 on the citizens' initiative, and in particular Article 4 thereof,\nWhereas:\n(1)\nThe subject matter of the proposed citizens' initiative entitled ‘Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment’ refers to the following: ‘To protect bees and people's health, we call on the Commission to propose legal acts to phase out synthetic pesticides by 2035, to restore biodiversity, and to support farmers in the transition’.\n(2)\nThe objectives of the proposed citizens' initiative refer to the following: ‘Phase out synthetic pesticides in EU agriculture by 80 % by 2030, starting with the most hazardous, to become free of synthetic by 2035; restore natural ecosystems in agricultural areas so that farming becomes a vector of biodiversity recovery; reform agriculture by prioritising small scale, diverse and sustainable farming, supporting a rapid increase in agro-ecological and organic practice, and enabling independent farmer-based training and research into pesticide- and GMO-free farming.’\n(3)\nThe Treaty on European Union (TEU) reinforces citizenship of the Union and enhances further the democratic functioning of the Union by providing, inter alia, that every citizen is to have the right to participate in the democratic life of the Union by way of a European citizens' initiative.\n(4)\nTo this end, the procedures and conditions required for the citizens' initiative should be clear, simple, user-friendly and proportionate to the nature of the citizens' initiative so as to encourage participation by citizens and to make the Union more accessible.\n(5)\nLegal acts of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties can be adopted:\nfor the establishment of the common organisation of agricultural markets and the other provisions necessary for the pursuit of the objectives of the common agricultural policy, on the basis of Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU);\nfor approximation of the provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States which have as their object the establishment and functioning of the internal market, on the basis of Article 114 TFEU;\nfor measures in the veterinary and phytosanitary fields which have as their direct objective the protection of public health, on the basis of Article 168(4)(b) TFEU.\n(6)\nFor these reasons, the proposed citizens' initiative does not manifestly fall outside the framework of the Commission's powers to submit a proposal for a legal act of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties in accordance with Article 4(2)(b) of the Regulation.\n(7)\nFurthermore, the citizens' committee has been formed and the contact persons have been designated in accordance with Article 3(2) of the Regulation and the proposed citizens' initiative is neither manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious nor manifestly contrary to the values of the Union as set out in Article 2 TEU.\n(8)\nThe proposed citizens' initiative entitled ‘Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment’ should therefore be registered,\nHAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "OJ L 65, 11.3.2011, p. 1."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2019/1566/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:12:35.077421+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}