A/HRC/43/44/Add.6 samples, equal to 1.3% of the total samples analyzed. As many as 61% of the total samples are regular and without any trace of residue. Regular foods, however, which show the presence of one or more residues are 34% of the total. Food with a single residue represent 14.7%, while those with residues of several substances 18.4%; for 1% of the samples with residues, the indication of mono or multiresidue is not available. In line with the trend of past years, fruit is confirmed as the category where the highest percentage of regular samples is concentrated, but with one or more of a residue. Only 36% of the fruit, therefore about a third of the samples analyzed, is totally free of pesticide residues, while over 60% of the fruit is regular, but with one or more of a chemical residue. In the last 10 years the percentage of products that are irregular in Italy has been growing slightly, going from 1% in 2007 to 1.3% in 2017. This trend is in line with what is highlighted by EFSA in its latest report of 2016, where according to which irregular samples in Europe are equal to 1.5%. In the last 10 years, in Italy the share of regular samples analyzed without residues is equal to 63%, a value significantly higher than the European average (54%). 82. The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture highlighted that regular checks take place by the competent authorities and that the fruits and vegetable sector is subjected to rigorous and continuous inspections. Nevertheless, it remains unclear if the levels of pesticides considered safe for consumption by the EFSA and by Italian authorities take into account the multi-residue issue, which seems to be a crucial element in the sample analysis carried out. 83. According to data released by Eurostat in 2016, Italy is one of the biggest consumers of pesticides in the European Union, together with Spain, France and Germany. The findings raise concerns about the impact of the use of pesticides on people’s health. 29 Comments: Statistics usually refer to products that are sold in the market, and not to the use in agriculture. Please, quote the right source and check whether it refers to market distribution. 84. In 2016, the Ministry of Health decided to place a number of restrictions on the use of glyphosate, one of the world’s most ubiquitous pesticide. The restrictions applied banned the use of glyphosate in areas frequented by the public. These restrictions marked one of the largest bans in the agricultural use of glyphosate and were inspired by the new Implementing Regulation 2016/1313 issued by the European Commission on 1 August, which required Member States to encourage the development and introduction of integrated pest management and approaches or alternative techniques to reduce dependency on the use of pesticides. 85. However, testimonies from agricultural workers working in green-houses provided information that greatly differed from the official statistics. According to them, common practices involved a considerable use of pesticides, including highly dangerous ones, in a variety of products, particularly fruits. In the central part of Italy, investigations carried out by local authorities as well as independent researchers discovered the use of counterfeit pesticides. The production of such pesticides was under the control of criminal organizations that imported them from outside the country, processed and packaged them with counterfeit labels within the Italian borders and then sold them for use in agriculture production. Comments: This paragraph has nothing to do with the previous referred to glypho. Relevance of illegal practices cannot rely on the testimony of some workers. 86. A number of companies have publicly reported that dangerous pesticides are currently being sold using counterfeit labelling. An example is the company L.Gobbi 30 , which confirmed the cease of production of the pesticide Adrop since 2003. However, this pesticide is still being used in agriculture leading to believe that little has been done to prevent the 29 30 EuroNews, Which EU countries consume the most pesticides? https://www.lgobbi.it/it/6432-2/ . 15