Dries Verhaeghe, director at Dryade, an organisation of environmental lawyers, states that relaxing pesticide standards does not provide a solution for drinking water pollution in West Flanders. According to him, the Pesticide Ruling shows that the problem must be addressed at the source.
This newspaper reported on the relaxation of the standards for the fungicide triazole by Minister Brouns.(DM 20/2). He addresses drinking water pollution from pesticides with relaxed standards and additional investments in water purification. As a result, tap water continues to flow and the problem seems under control. But it is the world upside down. Those who permanently raise standards turn an emergency measure into a new norm and shift the costs and health risks onto citizens and nature.
The Westhoek is a textbook example of symptom treatment. In and around the drinking water production centre De Blankaart, elevated concentrations of the fungicide triazole were detected, after which the European limit value of 0.1 micrograms per litre was temporarily raised to ten times that norm. The discussion now revolves around extending or entrenching that relaxation. This normalises exposure to pesticides and their breakdown products, rather than addressing the problem at the source.
The argument that 'the drinking water is safe' overlooks what people intuitively understand: chronic exposure is not about one substance, one sip, or one measurement point. It is about a cocktail of substances, about daily intake through water and food, for adults and children, about the health impact of pesticides, and about the fact that some substances are hardly removable from drinking water.
Betty and Paul
The debate goes beyond an abstract figure. It is about the fact that drinking water is not a waste stream that we can purify afterwards. Clean drinking water is the foundation of our health.
The concerned West Flemish person finds an ally in nature. The Blankaart is located in a bird directive area. Europe protects this unique and vulnerable nature. The sea eagles Betty and Paul have nested there for the second consecutive year this year.
Scientific research shows that fungicides have a negative impact on aquatic life and fish populations. Betty and Paul not only have less fish to feed their young. That fish also turns out to be heavily polluted. The sea eagle is a top predator: it is at the top of the food chain. What is bad for the sea eagle is bad for the entire ecosystem.
But there is hope for local residents and sea eagles. On 15 December 2025, five environmental organisations obtained the so-called Pesticide Ruling. The Brussels Court of First Instance ruled that the effects of pesticide use in and near nature areas must be investigated before pesticides can be used. In the past, this has never happened, in violation of European environmental regulations. Currently, every Flemish farmer, fruit grower, florist, and the processing industry is therefore using or discharging illegal pesticides.
The consequence for the Westhoek is clear. Pesticides are not 'minor substances' that can be swept under the rug with temporary deviations. If they enter protected nature areas and a drinking water source for a large population through agricultural use or industrial discharges, then the Flemish government must conduct an impact assessment and take measures to address the pesticide problem at the source.
Normalisation of pollution
This does not mean that farmers or industry are being blamed as if the problem lies with one or two actors. It does mean that we stop treating the symptoms. A policy of norm expansion normalises pollution, shifts the bill and health impact onto the citizen, and removes the incentive to tackle the problem at the source.
What exactly are we asking for?
First and foremost: no permanent relaxation of standards as a matter of policy. Temporary exemptions may only be granted in emergency situations, but must never become a backdoor route to normalising pollution.
Furthermore, the Pesticide Ruling must be implemented, with a mandatory, transparent impact assessment for pesticide use and relevant discharges in the vicinity of protected nature, such as De Blankaart.
Finally, there is a need for effective source control measures: targeted restrictions where risks are highest, publicly available monitoring, and a plan that prioritises the health of hundreds of thousands of people as well as West Flanders’ natural heritage.
We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Europe introduced these safeguards precisely because nature and health are non-negotiable. It’s time to stop putting out fires and turn off the pesticide tap. For the sake of the people of West Flanders, and for Betty and Paul.