The European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety has voted in favour of adopting new regulations governing the production, licensing and use of pesticides, insisting on a 'safety first' approach.
Under the new legislation, certain 'highly toxic' chemicals face outright bans unless their absence seriously endangers plant health, with a formal list of approved active substances to be drawn up at EU level.
Products currently containing hazardous substances have two years, as opposed to an initial five-year period, to be replaced if safer alternative substances are shown to exist.
However, the European Crop Protection Agency (ECPA) has called for a rethink on the introduction of the legislation, claiming that it will impact sustainable agriculture, drive up prices and downgrade Europe's quality of life.
'Regarding authorisation, proper risk evaluation is certainly required to ensure that products are safe for both people and the environment,' said Friedhelm Schmider, director general of the ECPA. 'However, this regulatory direction will have a significant negative impact on the production of key crops in Europe. Simply because a product has hazardous properties does not mean it cannot be used safely, a fact that is proven every day in every sector including medicine and transport.'
But the European Commission dismissed fears of widespread pesticide elimination and produce price increases, saying that only 4 per cent of substances would be removed as endocrine disruptors and 2 per cent through being carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction.
