Syngenta loses appeal as Swiss court upholds chlorothalonil ban

A Swiss court has upheld the national ban on chlorothalonil fungicides, rejecting an appeal by Syngenta and confirming that the restriction remains in force across Switzerland. In a judgment published Thursday, the Federal Administrative Court ruled that the prohibition introduced in 2020 was lawful, citing environmental risks and groundwater contamination concerns.

The ban was first imposed by the Federal Office for Agriculture in December 2019 after evidence showed that chlorothalonil metabolites—breakdown products of the chemical—were present in groundwater and drinking water. Authorities determined that these substances could pose risks to human health, leading to a withdrawal of product authorizations and a halt to sales from January 2020. Syngenta challenged the decision, arguing that the detected metabolites were not harmful to humans.

In its ruling, the court emphasized risks to aquatic ecosystems, including amphibians and fish, as sufficient grounds to justify the ban. It also noted that groundwater samples had exceeded regulatory thresholds for contaminants, reinforcing concerns over drinking water safety. The decision aligns with earlier action by the European Union, which banned chlorothalonil in 2019 on similar environmental grounds. Syngenta retains the option to appeal to Switzerland’s Federal Court.

Source: SWI swissinfo.ch