In a statement made alongside an informal meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Uppsala, Sweden, on Sunday 11 June, the Spanish minister, Luis Planas, indicated that the pesticides dossier would not be concluded before the European elections in spring 2024.
Speaking to journalists during a visit to the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), Mr Planas outlined the priorities of the forthcoming Spanish Presidency of the EU Council. On the subject of pesticides, he said that the European Commission would shortly be presenting the additional impact study on the effects of the proposal on food safety (see EUROPE 13196/10).
However, given the very strong positions taken within the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, the Spanish Presidency of the Council will try to make progress on this issue at a technical level. He does not believe that an interinstitutional agreement on the proposal on the sustainable use of pesticides can be reached before the European Parliament elections.
What’s more, it will be difficult to make progress in a way that is too asymmetrical in relation to the European Parliament, where the dossier is likely to be blocked, according to Mr Planas.
NGTs, geographical indications. Mr Planas also pointed out that the European agriculture ministers are awaiting the European Commission’s proposal (the publication of which has already been delayed twice) on new genomic techniques (NGTs). “Our aim is to be able to draw general political conclusions before the end of the year”, he said.
At the beginning of July, the European Commission is due to propose legislation on genetic biotechnologies, emerging techniques aimed at developing more resistant seeds and described as ‘new GMOs’ by their detractors.
A host of genome-editing tools have appeared in recent years that modify the genetic material of plants without any external additions, unlike so-called ‘transgenic’ GMOs that introduce an external gene.
The Commission currently has 90 applications for authorisation for NGT crops (a third of which are at an advanced research stage), with only a few field tests to date (maize in Belgium, potatoes in Sweden, etc.).
Other subjects for the second half of 2024 include the proposal on agricultural geographical indications (agreement between the European Parliament and the Council expected).
The labelling dossier has been postponed. Luis Planas felt that the Commission was not ready to present the proposal on food labelling during this term of office. According to the Minister, “this is one of the first dossiers on which we would have liked to make progress, but it has now fallen too far behind schedule. The subject is too strategic and points of view are far too divergent” on nutritional labelling and the origin of products for the Commission to be able to propose anything before the end of its term. “It will be for the Commission’s next term of office”, predicted the Spanish minister. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)