pesticide

Freshfel Europe, the European fresh produce association, has expressed its concern at proposals outlined by the European Parliament's Environment Committee with regards to new pesticide legislation.

The European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Healthand Food Safety had this week voted in favour of adopting new regulationsgoverning the production, licensing and use of pesticides.

New legislation would mean the banning of certain 'highly toxic' chemicals, with pesticides containing these faced with removal from the European market unless replacement substances can be found.

Freshfel said that is was concerned by the impact the regulations would have on the European horticultural sector, potentially leaving farmers with no products to control certain pests.

'Freshfel was most concerned with the proposals for the future authorisation of plant protection products and the introduction of additional cut-off criteria which would phase out even more active substances compared to the previous compromise agreed among member states,' the group said in a statement. 'As such, Freshfel stresses the need for the derogation clause authorising member states to continue the use of certain active substances until suitable alternatives have been developed.'

The UK-based Fresh Produce Consortium also voiced its disappointment at the proposals, saying that the regulations would push up EU fruit and vegetable prices and put the bloc's long-term food security at risk.

'We are bitterly disappointed that the committee rejected the call for a full impact assessment,' said group CEO Nigel Jenney. 'It seems crazy that the European Parliament could get away with making decisions without any scientific basis and with no regard to the devastating impact of their proposals.'

However Frédéric Rosseneau, food safety advisor at Freshfel, said that the high number of MEPs on the environment committee voting against adopting the report (over 33 per cent) showed that a compromise with member states should be possible.

'We will continue to work constructively alongside the EU institutions and stakeholders to achieve a satisfying result for the EU horticultural sector,' he said.