Publication of A Vision for Agriculture and Food

Last February 19, the European Commission published (EC) A Vision for Agriculture and Food. Shaping together an attractive farming and agri-food sector for future generations. This document is a communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. It must be understood as a guideline on agriculture and food matters for the following years.

Regarding plant health, it is necessary to highlight the following aspects included in this document:

• the EC provides that, as a principle, the most hazardous pesticides banned in the EU for health and environmental reasons are not allowed back to the EU through imported products. To achieve this, the Commission establishes that it will carry out an impact assessment to, if appropriate, propose amendments to the applicable legal framework;
• the Commission States that it will also assess the issue of the export of pesticides that are banned in the EU. Subject to further development of this matter by the Commission, this restriction might entail the prohibition for operators to manufacture products that are banned in the EU for export to countries in which such products are allowed;
• the document acknowledges that the introduction of alternatives as biological or innovative low-risk plant protection products "has not followed with the same pace as the withdrawal of active substances from the EU market". If alternatives are not available, the Commission states that it will consider any further ban of pesticides, unless the pesticide in question represents a threat to human health or to the environment; and
• a proposal that accelerates the access for biopesticides to the EU market will be put forward by the Commission in 2025. This proposal will include a definition of “biocontrol active substances” and will provide the possibility for Member States to grant provisional authorizations for plant protection products containing such active substances during the evaluation process and will create a "fast-track” procedure for their approval and authorization.

These measures represent an ambitious agenda for the Commission and will impact the agri-food sector in the following years. Due to their relevance, it is necessary to closely monitor their implementation and subsequent effect on the industry.