Among the proposals in the European Commission’s new Vision on Agriculture and Food document which was launched last week (19 February), is a commitment to expand restrictions on crop protection products that apply to European growers to imported food products.
The document explains, ‘the Commission will establish a principle that the most dangerous pesticides banned in the EU for health or environmental reasons cannot return to the EU via imported products.’ It will begin with the establishment of an assessment later this year to ‘consider the impacts on the EU’s competitive position and international implications and, if appropriate, propose amendments to the applicable legislative framework.’
The text continues, ‘The Commission will also examine the issue of the export of hazardous chemicals, including pesticides, which are banned in the EU.’
The EU executive stressed that it would pursue “a greater alignment of production standards applied to imported products, particularly in pesticides and animal welfare.
‘To address potential risks of unfair competition and illegal unilateral actions against the EU agri-food sector, the Commission will develop a unity safety net to protect the sector from economic coercion,’ it explains, while acknowledging ‘he need to reconcile climate action with food security and the specific challenges faced by the sector.
‘Farmers should be rewarded for adopting nature-friendly practices. In this context, the Commission will carefully consider any additional ban on the use of pesticides if no alternatives are available within a reasonable timeframe and will streamline access to biopesticides on the EU market,’ it adds.
