On 22 or 23 March, the Agriculture Ministers of the European Union countries will discuss two topics on measures to control harmful organisms that attack plants.
An exchange of views will first take place on the preparation of phytosanitary protection measures against plant pests threatening agriculture. The other debate concerns the use of biological control aids (macro-organisms) against organisms harmful to plants.
The Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU has prepared two documents for these debates.
A number of delegated and implementing acts have been adopted by the Commission to ensure a harmonised implementation of plant health legislation by EU Member States, recalls the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council in a first document (https://bit.ly/3esmesy ).
Ministers will be invited to discuss how to improve preparedness to protect the EU against plant pests and create synergies within the framework of the European Green Deal and the ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy.
In the second note, the Portuguese Presidency states that the use of biological control agents in the field of ‘bioprotection’ “is a fundamental component of integrated pest management” (https://bit.ly/3cdBtmg ). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)