The European Commission is a step closer to implementing new rules regarding the use of agricultural pesticides on products sold in the European Union, after EU agriculture ministers reached agreement in Luxembourg on Monday regarding proposed changes to the EEC Plant Protection Products Directive.

Although the regulations must now be passed back to the European Parliament for approval before being returned to the Council once more ahead of a final decision early next year, the news has been met with some considerable degree of frustration and dismay among those who argue that the move will limit too severely the number of crop protection products approved for use on fresh fruits and vegetables.

Ahead of the agreement, the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) expressed its frustration with the decision and, in particular, the introduction of new hazard-based rejection criteria for active substances, which it says will remove safe products that have been used safely for years from the market.

ECPA’s director general Friedhelm Schmider said the agreement will have a negative impact on the production of many key crops in Europe. “Just because a product has hazardous properties, does not mean it is dangerous. Proper risk evaluations are required to determine this, taking the dose and actual use into consideration – just as coffee and alcohol are hazardous at high doses, normal use poses no risk to health,” he said.

Gerd Beckmann, a German apple producer, says plant protection products are vital to the viability of his crop. “With fewer products to choose from, we will have to use weaker substances more often,” he suggests.

Frédéric Rosseneu, food safety advisor at European fresh produce lobby group Freshfel Europe, explained that, under the new rules, approval of commercial products containing more than one active substance will no longer be made at a national level but in three regional groupings – north, centre and south.

He also observed that the likely decommissioning of products will not happen immediately. “If this does go ahead, then I think we will see a gradual shift rather than an overnight change,” he said. “Most crop protection products are approved on a 10-year basis.”

Topics