Analysis by Greenpeace this week has revealed that ten harmful pesticides banned in the European Union are still being used on UK crops.

Some of the pesticides being used have been linked to cancer and infertility. The investigation by Greenpeace found that they were being used on UK crops, including strawberries and potatoes.

The research is available here.

Since the UK left the EU, it has been able to diverge from EU safety standards. This means the substances are still legal to use in the UK.

The government is currently negotiating a deal with the EU which could see the UK align with EU safety rules, after a 34% decline in food exports to the EU since Brexit.

Caroline Lucas, Co-president of European Movement UK, said:

"Yet again we’re seeing the real-world consequences of how damaging Brexit deregulation is to people's day-to-day lives.

"Toxic pesticides that the EU has rightly banned, because of links to cancer, infertility and environmental harm, are still being sprayed on crops here in the UK. No one thinks this is good enough and it should concern each of us.

"With food exports to the EU falling dramatically since Brexit, alignment with Europe on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) rules would help remove unnecessary barriers, support British producers and ensure that the food on our shelves in the UK meets the same robust protections as are active now in the EU.

"That’s why the current negotiations on a UK-EU SPS agreement are so crucial. Getting this right is fundamental to restoring trust, protecting our health and giving our farmers the stable, high-standard framework they need to trade and thrive.

"These negotiations are an opportunity for the government to protect public health by choosing higher standards and closer cooperation over risky deregulation.

"Public health, environmental protection and our economic interests all point in the same direction: alignment with Europe's higher standards.”