Brussels, 20/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 19 May, the majority of the agriculture ministers of the member states of the European Union supported the European Commission's plans to create an independent body for coordination and exchange of information between experts on the issue of minor uses of plant protection products, which are scarcely viable for industry and therefore little developed, but which are vital for specialist crops, such as fruit and vegetables, nursery plants and flowers. Spain and the Baltic states would have preferred the option of increased funding for this coordination body. This technical secretariat will enjoy annual support from the Community budget of up to €350,000, to be topped up by the same amount again from the member states.
This “technical secretariat”, which is the expression used by European Commissioner for Health Tonio Borg, will receive Community funding. The commissioner also pointed out that the 7th research programme of the EU supports a project on integrated pest management with specific reference to minor uses.
Losses of more than €1 billion a year
The crops affected by the issue of minor uses of plant protection products represent around €70 billing a year, or 22% of the total value of plant production of the EU, according to the Commission. The direct impacts, in other words the production losses and additional costs for farmers, have been estimated at in excess of €1 billion a year.
Agri-food chain hoped for more ambition
Ten organisations representing the agri-food supply chain had called on ministers to adopt a more ambitious approach than that recommended by the Commission, including European funding for research into minor uses, the extrapolation of data and tests on the ground, as well as speeding up authorisation procedures for plant protection products. They argue that a comparable programme is already in place in the United States where, for every dollar invested in this framework, the economic benefit has been calculated at 500 dollars. As the annual amount spent on this in the US is $14 million, the benefit is worth $7.7 billion. (LC)