The Swedish government brings a case before the European Court of Justice over the Commission’s decision to permit the use of paraquat, a hazardous pesticide, in the EU.

Paraquat has been banned in Sweden since 1983 and is used in herbicides for olive, wine grape and hazelnut farming in the EU. Paraquat is also banned in Denmark, Finland and Austria.

The European Commission’s Standing Committee on the Food Chain & Animal Health voted in October 2003 to include the herbicide in a list of authorised pesticides - despite a fierce lobbying campaign by environment, health groups and trade unions to ban it.

• Case C-102/04: Action brought on 27 February 2004 by the Kingdom of Sweden against the Commission of the European Communities

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