The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the report by Sarah WIENER (Greens/EFA, AT) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the sustainable use of plant protection products and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/2115.
The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows:
Subject matter
The amended text stipulated that the Regulation aims to reduce the risks for and impacts on human health and the environment of the use of plant protection products and to reduce dependency on plant protection products. It lays down rules for the sustainable use of plant protection products, while ensuring sustainable crop protection, by:
- defining and laying down requirements for the implementation of integrated pest management;
- establishing measures to improve the authorisation procedure and placing on the market of low-risk plant protection products and plant protection products containing solely active substances exerting biological control, with the aim of lowering the negative impact of plant protection measures;
- establishing requirements for the use, storage, sale and disposal of plant protection products and for application equipment, worker protection, protection of the public, and training, independent advice, and awareness raising;
- establishing requirements for the monitoring of plant protection product residues and their metabolites in the environment and humans.
Union 2030 reduction targets for chemical plant protection products
According to Members, each Member State should contribute, through the adoption and achievement of national targets, to achieving by 2030 at least a 50% Union-wide reduction of the use and risk of chemical plant protection products and a 65% Union-wide reduction of the use of more hazardous plant protection products, compared to the average of the years 2013 to 2017. The Commission had proposed a 50% target for both based on the 2015-2017 average.
Members also wanted the Commission to set an EU target for increasing overall sales of low-risk plant protection products by 2030, six months after the regulation comes into force.
Examination by the Commission
The Commission should review and assess the national reduction targets communicated to it and the information explaining any lowering of the targets. On the basis of this assessment, the Commission should verify whether the national reduction targets communicated by each Member State need to be set at a more ambitious level.
Integrated pest management using crop-specific rules
In order to maximise the impact of national strategies, Member States should put in place crop-specific rules for at least the five crops that have most strongly influenced the evolution of the use and risks of chemical plant protection products and the use of the most dangerous plant protection products.
Monitoring of plant protection product residues and their metabolites in the environment and in humans
The amended text called on Member States, 24 months from the date of entry into force of this Regulation, to put in place representative monitoring programmes of residues of plant protection products and their metabolites in water resources, groundwater, soil, air, dust, precipitation, biota and in humans, to assess whether the findings comply with the predicted exposure from environmental and human risk assessments under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009.
Imports of agricultural and agri-food products from third countries
According to the report, by 31 December 2025, the Commission should carry out an impact assessment examining the differences in the use of plant protection products on imported products, compared to domestically produced agricultural and agri-food products.
Export of active substances and plant protection products not approved in the Union
The report stated that the production, storage, circulation in the Union and export to third countries from the Union should be prohibited for active substances and plant protection products for which the approval or authorisation under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 has been refused, revoked or not renewed for public health environmental reasons.
International dialogue on the use of plant protection products
Members called on the Commission, together with the Member States, should start or maintain, as appropriate, a dialogue with third countries with a view to exchanging information on the use and risk of plant protection products.
Financing
The amended text stated that Member States should ensure that professional users are eligible for financial support linked to implementing integrated pest management and reducing the use and risk of chemical plant protection products. In order to support farmers in reducing the use of chemical plant protection products, Member States should furthermore consider as many funding sources as possible available to them, including Union funds and national contributions including state aid.
By the end of December 2026, the Commission may, where appropriate, propose the creation of a new Union funding instrument for the transition and adaptation of agriculture in the future Multiannual Financial Framework.
Commission evaluation and review
By 30 June 2027, and every two years thereafter, the Commission should carry out an evaluation of this Regulation based on, inter alia, the monitoring of residues of plant protection products and their metabolites in the environment and in humans. The Commission should develop a strategy for the sustainable use of plant protection products after 2030 and should assess whether the establishment of targets beyond 2030 will be necessary.