Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) rejected the Sustainable Use of Plant Safety Merchandise Regulation (SUR) right this moment, which aimed to slash using chemical pesticides in half by 2030. There have been 299 votes in opposition to and 207 for the invoice; 121 MEPs abstained.
The Fee should now think about withdrawing the proposal.
Rapporteur MEP, Sarah Wiener, mentioned it was “a really darkish day for the atmosphere and farmers.”
Marketing campaign teams in favor of reducing using such chemical substances in EU farming mentioned the putting down of the draft laws was a direct results of agro-industry lobbying efforts.
These advocates argued that regardless of the vast scientific and public consensus on the necessity to section out pesticides, the initially bold Fee regulation proposal had been strongly watered-down with the adoption of amendments suppressing nationwide binding targets and guidelines for built-in pest administration. The consequence, they continued, is that MEPs determined to vote in opposition to the emptied-out proposal.
Madeleine Coste, Sluggish Meals advocacy director, mentioned a majority within the Parliament determined to “aspect with the agroindustry and its allies, who’ve lobbied in opposition to this proposal over the past two years, ignoring the scientific consensus on the necessity to remodel our present meals system.
“It’s outrageous that scientists’ and residents’ voices are ignored on this approach, and a worrying prospect for the destiny of the EU Farm to Fork Technique, and the transition to sustainable meals techniques.”
Clara Bourgin, meals, farming, and nature campaigner at Mates of the Earth Europe, mentioned conservative MEPs “delivered the ultimate blow” to the legislation. “We’re now again to sq. one, with no proposal to deal with the biodiversity disaster, safe long-term meals safety and shield folks’s well being.”
Yoann Coulmont, campaigner at Générations Futures, mentioned the regulation was an enormous a part of the EU Inexperienced Deal on agriculture and a possibility to have interaction the transition of agrifood techniques at EU-wide stage. “MEPs missed the boat, worse: they sank it, with all of the efforts to guarantee the best to a wholesome atmosphere and sustainable meals sovereignty.”
Opposition to the pesticides plan
EU farming foyer, Copa-Cogeca, welcomed the rejection of the invoice by MEPs right this moment, saying that “options can solely be discovered via dialogue with farmers and their cooperatives, not by imposing disconnected aims from the highest.”
It together with FEFAC, EU feed {industry} representatives, and a raft of different EU meals and farming organizations, despatched a joint open letter to the Fee again in November final yr warning in regards to the unfavorable impression of the SUR on the EU agricultural worth chain, given the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the results of local weather change.
These exterior components, they confused, had closely affected the provision and affordability of essential inputs resembling fertilizers, power, and feed, resulting in a big enhance in farmers’ manufacturing prices and an elevated danger of discount of manufacturing within the quick and medium time period.
Coverage measures have to take into accounts the implications and drawbacks of discount targets for plant safety merchandise (PPPs) for all actors within the meals chain, they mentioned, including that there was a necessity to supply alternate options earlier than withdrawing chemical options.
“Producers have to have entry to secure, efficient, and inexpensive instruments to make sure passable crop safety and thus meals safety, whereas preserving feed and meals security.
“We imagine that via collaboration and progressive options we will drive the transition to a extra sustainable manufacturing mannequin. Entry to options together with biocontrol applied sciences, digital and precision instruments, new genomic strategies (NGTs) in addition to resilient seed varieties will assist strengthen the farmers’ toolbox and assist Europe’s purpose of extra resilient meals techniques.”
