The heavy use of pesticides in agriculture is strongly linked to declines in insects, birds, biodiversity in terrestrial and aquatic systems and detrimental impacts on global public health. Given the urgent need for reduction of pesticide impacts, it is worrying to observe that a number of Member State governments and Members of the European Parliament have recently called for the delay and/or watering down of the new pesticides regulation. As members of the scientific community, we express our deep concern.