"Brexit could have serious effect on crop protection approvals"
In the letter, the CPA writes: "Our view is that, at present, whilst the current EU environmental regime could be workable, the politicisation of almost every recent decision on crop protection products delineates a trajectory that will ultimately lead to EU farmers losing access to most of the crop protection tools currently at their disposal. Ultimately, this will lead to the EU becoming an agricultural museum, uncompetitive and perhaps unable to provide a steady and reliable supply of safe, affordable food.
"The UK regulator, the CRD, leads the EU in the speed, efficiency and reliability of its regulatory decisions - 40% of EU regulatory decisions are currently managed by CRD. Our members feel that the absence of this regulator in the European sphere could have a serious effect on the pace of regulatory approvals in the future. A process that already takes over 10 years and £220 million pounds on average could increase significantly. This would mean farmers in the EU facing years of delay in access to new, innovative products with greater efficacy and lower environmental impact, putting them at a significant disadvantage. Already, the development of new technologies such as gene editing and biopesticides are happening outside the EU in part because of the political lottery involved in the current EU regulatory process.
Download the full letter here.