Crop protection is a keystone of all farming activity and modern arable farming in the EU, irrespective of the production method. This is why, on the 7th of February 2019, in order to ensure a sustainable plant protection Copa & Cogeca, and IBMA trade association hosted a high level symposium at the European Parliament, where this topic was substantially debated.
The symposium was hosted by MEPs Annie Schreijer-Pierik (EPP), Pavel Poc (S&D) and Ivan Jakovčić (ALDE), with the participation of ministry representative from the Netherlands and featured interesting presentations by both farmers and industry representatives. The guests had the opportunity to hear and debate best ways to apply Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles, based on good farming and agricultural practices, as well as solutions on how to prevent the reduction of farmers’ toolbox.
MEP Annie Schreijer-Pierik took the opportunity to underline that "Low-risk crop protections of biological origin form an important integral part of farmers' toolboxes in modern pest and plant health management. The EU can lead the way in the world market of innovative biological pesticides, by facilitating not delaying their development and use!"
MEP Pavel Poc added that “The European Parliament and all the relevant stakeholders are aligned on the need for an immediate fast-track for low-risk biological PPPs. The European Commission should better acknowledge the broadly supported call for action and advance the process. On the European Parliament’s side there is a positive cross-party support, as well fruitful collaboration between the ENVI and AGRI committees. I hope we will soon see positive steps forward in ensuring a better environment for the future development of more sustainable plant protection.”
MEP Ivan Jakovčić further stressed that "It is time for a big and determined turning point in treating the land for agriculture! The way that farmland has been treated for decades has exhausted the resources and therefore we need new regulation and new policy! I hope that European institutions, interested companies and farmers will recognize the need for co-operation and creating synergies that will open another aspect of land use in the coming decades in a completely new way!"
Copa and Cogeca’s Secretary General Pekka Pesonen emphasized the importance of this event indicating that “The European farmers are the guardians of the land and are ready to continue investing in further improvement of the sustainability in the sector. Unfortunately, despite the interest from EU farmers to apply low-risk PPPs, the availability of such products is clearly far from envisaged. For the EU farming community it is crucial that investments keep going into this area to bring new and safe products to the market, adapted to the EU agricultural system.”
IBMA Executive Director David Cary reiterated that “The IBMA remains committed to make proportionate regulation of sustainable biological plant protection inputs a reality by working with all parties to pursue the calls within the EU Parliament motion for resolution with support from society, farmers, IGOs, NGOs and industry stakeholders.”
For more information:
Isabelle Pinzauti Babrzyński
Communication and Operations Manager
Tel.: + 32 (0)497 69 58 42
isabelle.pinzauti@ibma-global.org
Ksenija Simovic
Communication Officer
Mobile: + 32 473 66 30 71
Ksenija.simovic@copa-cogeca.eu