October 28, 2025
28 October 2025 – A new poll by YouGov indicates that 88% of Danes agree or strongly agree that Denmark should prohibit production and export of chemicals which are banned for domestic use.
Denmark's government has criticised the practice in the EU of exporting banned chemicals as “indefensible” but, unlike France and Belgium, has not yet passed a law to ban such exports.
Support for action is particularly strong among Danes who support Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s Socialdemokraterne party. 93% back a ban, and only 7% are opposed.
The poll was commissioned by Ekō, a member of a coalition of human rights, development and environmental NGOs campaigning to stop Europe’s toxic exports.
The European Union exported nearly 122,000 tonnes of banned pesticides in 2024, up 50% compared to the 81,000 tonnes notified in 2018, an investigation by Public Eye and Unearthed has revealed. The bulk of shipments were destined for low- and middle-income countries.
Denmark is the EU’s 8th biggest exporter of banned pesticides, according to government export notification files. These included dimethoate, thiram and thiamethoxam, among others, which were exported to countries including Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Ukraine.
Ekō senior campaign manager, Eoin Dubsky said:
“Danish people overwhelmingly support government action to stop companies manufacturing or exporting chemicals that are banned at home because of their toxicity. Prime Minister Frederiksen’s supporters demand nothing less. While it still holds the presidency of the Council, Denmark must ensure this scandalous double-standard is finally tackled, and demand that the European Commission move forward with a legislative proposal for an EU ban.
Waiting for EU-wide legislation is taking far too long. Denmark should pass a national ban in the meantime, upholding human rights and the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. High-income countries have been shipping their hazardous chemicals, pesticides and e-waste to low- and middle-income countries for decades, poisoning people and nature in the process. It's not only Europe, but the EU certainly hasn't been ‘leading by example’, as the European Commission committed in 2020 to do!”
EDITOR’S NOTES
- All the data featured are from YouGov, unless otherwise stated. The survey was conducted from the 17th to the 22nd of October 2025 on 1022 people representative of the Danish national population aged 18 and over.
- The question asked was as follows:
- Under EU law, chemicals banned for domestic use (e.g., due to risks to health or the environment) can still be produced and exported to non-EU countries. Denmark's government has criticized this practice as “indefensible” but, unlike France and Belgium, has not passed a law yet to ban such exports.
- To what extent do you agree with the following statement?
- “Denmark should prohibit production and export of chemicals which are banned for domestic use.”
- Please select the option that best applies.
Strongly agree / Somewhat agree / Somewhat disagree / Strongly disagree - Public Eye and Unearthed’s September 2025 report is available here: https://www.publiceye.ch/en/topics/pesticides/sharp-rise-in-eu-export-trade-in-banned-pesticides-despite-european-commission-promises
- Ekō is a global movement of consumers, investors, and workers all around the world, united together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable and just path for our global economy.
- In June 2025, a statement signed by more than 600 organisations was sent to European Commission President von der Leyen, calling on her to finally act to end the production and export of toxic pesticides banned for use in the EU, as well as the import of food grown with these dangerous chemicals. https://www.pan-europe.info/sites/pan-europe.info/files/public/resources/Letters/Letter_vdL_June_2025_Export_Ban%20%281%29.pdf