Member States should do more to apply integrated pest management as an alternative to the use of conventional pesticides alone, in the interests of human health and the environment, the European Parliament's Environment Committee stressed on 22 January in Brussels.
By adopting by a large majority (51 votes in favour, 1 against, 6 abstentions), the report initiated by Sweden's Jytte Guteland (S&D), MEPs fully endorsed the European Commission's critical report of October 2017 on the implementation of the Directive (2009/128/EC) on the sustainable use of pesticides.
In particular, it had shown that integrated pest management solutions for crop pests are not sufficiently used by Member States, while the number of low-risk or unauthorised chemical pesticides in the EU has doubled since 2009 (see EUROPE 11880).
MEPs are concerned about the incorrect application of this directive in most Member States, a situation that undermines the environmental and health improvement objectives pursued. They deplore the fact that in many Member States there is no real commitment to integrated pest management practices.
Among other recommendations, they recommend promoting the development of alternative procedures or techniques to reduce dependence on conventional pesticides and address increasing resistance to conventional plant protection products.
Not enough concrete proposals for the CAP according to NGOs
While this initiative report was supposed to respond to the Commission's report, the NGOs PAN Europe, Beelife and Arche Noah regretted, in a joint statement issued on 23 January, the lack of concrete proposals on how to integrate the Directive and the concept of integrated pest management into the Common Agricultural Policy.
The timing would have been right, however, since the CAP reform for the post-2020 period is under way and a number of proposals contain key ideas on how to promote integrated pest management, NGOs noted. They call on Member States and Parliament to strengthen the links between the Directive and the CAP.
The text will be put to a vote at the February plenary session. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)