The use of plant protection products on fields, grass verges and in parks does not need to be reduced in the EU for the time being. The European Parliament overturned the corresponding legislative proposal.
In Strasbourg, MEPs voted against the EU Commission’s proposal to reduce the use of plant protection products by half by 2030. Parliament rejected further negotiations with a narrow majority.
Will the EU Commission make a new proposal?
It was a “black day” for nature and for farmers in Europe, said parliamentary rapporteur Sarah Wiener (Greens) after the vote. After numerous amendments from the conservative groups in parliament, the law had already been significantly weakened.
Conservative MPs had warned of high restrictions for farmers. “We have to find solutions together with and not against agriculture,” explained CDU MP Norbert Lins. The Commission could now make a new proposal for the law. However, this is considered unlikely.
Pesticides: Lower Franconian winemakers relieved
Meanwhile, the no to the pesticide law in Bavaria is not only a relief for farmers. In addition to agriculture, the tightening would also have an impact on viticulture. “The EU Parliament’s decision naturally provides a certain amount of relief for the winegrowers, as after the many different proposals it was unclear how it would turn out and what exactly would happen to them,” said Hermann Schmitt, the managing director of the Franconian Winegrowers Association.
“We feel strengthened in our view of a voluntary reduction in pesticide use,” said Schmitt. According to this, more than half of Franconian vineyards are already herbicide-free and around 20 percent are farmed organically.
Glyphosate approval: Environmental groups want to sue
The current decision is the second defeat for environmentalists in the EU in a short time. The EU Commission recently decided to extend the approval of the controversial weedkiller glyphosate in the European Union by ten years.
Several environmental associations have announced a lawsuit against it. The extension of approval contradicts the research results of numerous independent scientists on the consequences of glyphosate and is a violation of European legislation on pesticides, emphasized the head of PAN Europe, Martin Dermine. An alliance of 80 organizations committed to the fight against pesticides, Secret Toxique, also announced a lawsuit before the ECJ. Glyphosate can impact the environment and is suspected of being carcinogenic.
With information from AFP