According to Professor Donald Roberts, a medical entomologist with decades of experience, the proposed new regulations set a dangerous precedent for the regulation of chemicals around the world. "It seems that EU regulators have no idea about the real risks to health and development to which most people in developing countries are exposed."

Some malarial countries have halted the use of the still-contentious DDT (a highly effective disease control insecticide banned in the EU) because they fear that even the tiniest of residues on export produce would result in rejection of entire shipments. Most of us only know of DDT as “bad”, having watched the daily news channels, but the use of DDT is complex – however, it remains one control of malaria. As such, it is the poorer people in the developing world who pay the price for EU regulations.

Since the European Union’s new regulations could remove up to 85% of chemicals currently used in farming, this will be of concern to the 75 million people suffering from hunger in the world. Importantly, people in Africa need insecticides to defend themselves against vector-borne diseases such as malaria, which were eradicated in European Union states decades ago.

Talking yesterday of their concerns in a meeting in Covent Garden, London, were Emeritus Professor of Pathology at Queen Mary College, London, Professor Sir Colin Berry along with Richard Tren, director of Africa Fighting Malaria. I was amazed that even they and other eminent scientists – and everyone else in the room – felt that there was nothing they could do. Some had tried desperately hard to halt or amend the revisions and original proposals at the European Parliament but without any success. It seems likely the legislation will go through.