Brussels, 22/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - When they meet in Luxembourg on Tuesday 28 June, EU agriculture ministers are expected to adopt a “plan” to speed up the shift to plant protection that is compatible with sustainable development.
At the Agriculture Council meeting on 22 October 2015, member states backed the idea put forward by the Netherlands of establishing a temporary expert group to draft this plan. The expert group has met on five occasions between December 2015 and May 2016.
The plan acknowledges the progress the EU has already made to date and identifies measures to be taken by the Commission, member states and stakeholders with the aim of increasing the availability of low-risk plant protection products and speeding up the implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) in the EU.
With regard to the availability of low-risk products, the expert group recommends: - speeding up administrative processes for the approval of low-risk active substances and the authorisation of low-risk plant protection products, while maintaining the high standards of risk assessment; - considering measures to guide and encourage businesses to apply for authorisations to place their products on the market; - identifying low-risk substances already on the market; - clarifying certain regulatory requirements such as the criteria for low-risk substances and products and the assessment of their efficacy.
In terms of accelerating the implementation of IPM, the expert group reaffirms the need for research and innovation to develop new methodologies and alternatives to protect against current and future pests and reduce reliance on pesticides. It recommends, in particular, that member states make further progress in sharing information on IPM through training initiatives and the internet. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)