David Clarinval, the Belgian Minister for Agriculture, whose country holds the presidency of the EU Council until the end of June, told MEPs from the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, on 29 January, that he was going to try to get the EU Council to agree on certain elements of the proposal on the sustainable use of pesticides.
He cited biocontrol, aerial application by drone and integrated pest management as some of the areas concerned. “There are three issues that enjoy broad support in the EU Council, said Mr Clarinval (see EUROPE 13332/6).
It is this strategy of “small steps” that the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council is following with “pragmatism” on the issue of pesticide use.
The Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Pascal Canfin (Renew Europe, French), said that a compromise on the provisions concerning biocontrol would speed up the authorisation procedures for these products (two years). “My hunch is that there will be a majority in Parliament to support” this part of the text, added Mr Canfin. “Parliament’s vote must be respected, and work on this proposal must stop”, said Peter Liese (EPP, German).
On 28 January, the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council presented a streamlined version of the proposed regulation on pesticides. The text presented removes the initial provisions aimed at setting quantified pesticide reduction targets and focuses on the deployment of integrated pest management and on measures to mitigate the impact of the use of plant protection products. States are simply called upon to specify reduction targets and timetables in their national action plans.
The EU Council working group on this dossier will examine the text at its meeting on 5 February. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)