51 Amendments of Jan HUITEMA related to 2017/2128(INI)
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the evaluation of the implementation of the Regulation revealed that the health and environmental protection objectives are not being achievedshowed its objectives to be relevant while identifying areas for improvement;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the EU authorisation system for plant protection products is internationally recognised as one of the strictest systems in the world; whereas its elements, inter alia the thorough peer- review process as well as the strict separation between risk assessment and risk management, already ensure a high level of food safety;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the evaluation of the implementation of the Regulation should be considered in conjunction with the EU’s overarching pesticide policy including regulations: Sustainable Use Directive 2009/128/EC, Biocides Regulation EU 528/2012 Maximum Residue Level EC 396/2005, and General Food Law 178/2002;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the implementation of the Regulation is notshould be in line with related EU policies, including in the field of pesticides;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the implementation of the Regulation is notshould be in line with related EU policies, including in the field of pesticides;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the available evidence shows that the practical implementation of the three main instruments of the Regulation – approvals, authorisations and enforcement of regulatory decisions – is unsatisfactory and does not ensure the fulfilment of the purpose of the Regulationcould be improved;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the available evidence shows that the practical implementation of the three main instruments of the Regulation – approvals, authorisations and enforcement of regulatory decisions – is unsatisfactoryleaves room for improvement and does not ensure the complete fulfilment of the purposeobjectives of the Regulation;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. Considers that the burden of proof should remain on the applicant, so as to ensure that public money is not spent on studies which can eventually benefit private interests; at the same time, stresses that transparency must be ensured at each step of the authorisation procedure fully in line with intellectual property rights while ensuring that good laboratory principles are consistently upheld throughout the Union;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas there are concerns associated with the practical implementation of the established evaluation approach; whereas in particular there are major concerns associated with the incomplete harmonisation of data requirements and methodologies used in some scientific fields that may hinder the evaluation process and thus may lead to direct negative effects on public health and the environment;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas there are concerns associated with the practical implementation of the establishedtwo-tier evaluation approach; whereas in particular there are major concerns associated with the incomplete harmonisation of data requirements and methodologies used in some scientific fieldduring evaluations of the products that may hinder the evaluation process and thus may lead to direct negative effects on public health and the environmentelays in the approval process;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the performance of national competent authorities was found to be a major factor influencing the evaluation of active substances; whereas there are substantial differences among Member States as regards available expertise and staff; whereas the Regulation and relevant supporting legal requirements are not uniformly implemented across Member States with relevant health and environment implications;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the performance of national competent authorities was found to be a major factor influencing the evaluation of active substances; whereas there are substantial differences among Member States as regards available expertise and staff; whereas the Regulation and relevant supporting legal requirements are not uniformly implemented across Member States with relevant health and environment implications;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas transparency in all stages of the approval procedure is insufficient and leads to negative effects on health and the environment and provokescould be improved, which would lead to increased public mistrust in the system regulating pesticide substances; whereas the transparency of the authorisation related activities of competent authorities iscould also unsatisfactorybe improved; welcomes the proposed changes to the General Food Law to address this problem;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Highlights the importance of a holistic approach that includes integrated pest management (IPM);
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Highlights the potential efficiency gains in plant protection that could be realised through the use of precision farming technologies, which will allow farmers to apply plant protection products more targeted in regard to where and in what quantity exactly they are needed instead of a general application on the entire field, which would lead to a significant reduction of consumption quantity;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. whereas the non-application of plant protection products in crop production can also lead to health consequences for example build-up of mycotoxins; whereas plant protection products play a role in food safety;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I b (new)
Recital I b (new)
Ib. Whereas a wide variety of safe and effective tools are needed to protect plant health;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I c (new)
Recital I c (new)
Ic. Whereas there has been no new active substances put forward for approval since May 31st 2016; whereas innovation and development of new products, particularly low-risk products, is important;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I d (new)
Recital I d (new)
Id. Whereas the availability of counterfeit pesticides on the market is of real concern; whereas counterfeit pesticides can be harmful to the environment and also damage the effectiveness of the Regulation;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that the EU is the appropriate level at which regulatory action in the field of pesticides should continue to take place; notes that the EU plant protection products approval process is one of the most stringent in the world;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses the importance of a regulatory framework on plant protection products at EU level, that protects the environment and human health, and also stimulates research and innovation in order to develop effective and safe plant protection products;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Highlights that special attention should be given to the role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the development of new plant protection products, as SMEs often lack the significant resources that are necessary it develop new substance;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Expresses concerns about the low number of new active substances that have been approved, both conventional, low-risk and biological active substances; stresses the importance of a broad range of plant protection products to tackle plant health issues and to secure the EU's food supply;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 e (new)
Paragraph 1 e (new)
1e. Emphasises that special attention and support should be given to plant protection products for minor uses, as there is currently little economic incentive for companies to develop these products;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is concerned by the fact that the Regulation has not been effectively implemented and that as a result its objectives are not being achieved in practicehas led to significant delays in the approval process;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the objectives and instruments of the Regulation and its implementation are not in always sufficiently streamlined with EU policies in the fields of agriculture, food security, water quality, climate change, sustainable use of pesticides and maximum residue levels of pesticides in food and feed;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is concerned by the steadily increasing use and identified cases of misuse of emergency authorisations granted under Article 53; notes that some member states use Article 53 significantly more than others; notes the Commission’s decision to mandate EFSA to investigate Member States' use of emergency authorisations in 2017 in light of the 2013 restrictions on the three neonicotinoids;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is concerned by the steadily increasing use and identified cases of misuse of emergency authorisations granted under Article 53; Considers that further efforts are needed to ensure that both Union and national agencies have sufficient capacities to process applications for PPP authorisations in order to avoid frequent use of emergency authorisations; Is concerned that Article 53 has been misused for the authorisation of plant protection products;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Is concerned that the incomplete harmonisation of data and testing requirements in some scientific fields may lead to direct negative effects on health, the environment and agricultural producthe evaluation of plant protection products has not been fully achieved, leading to inefficient working methods, lack of trust among national authorities, and unnecessary delays of authorisations;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Is concerned that the incomplete harmonisation of data and testing requirements in some scientific fields may lead to direct negative effects on health, the environment and agricultural productionthe evaluation of products has not yet been fully implemented;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Regrets the limited public availability of information on the evaluation and authorisation procedure, as well as the limited access to information; regrets that the level of transparency of the rapporteur Member States is low (acting in the framework of the approval procedure), suggests that accessibility and user friendliness of information at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) stage is problematiccould be improved, and that transparency at the risk management stage seems to be lacking and is also considered problematic by stakeholders; welcomes efforts by ECHA to increase transparency and user friendliness through its website and considers this could be a model employed in the future to improve transparency;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Is concerned that, in some cases, the PPPs available on the market and their application by users do not necessarily comply with the relevant authorisation conditions as regards their composition and usage; underlines the importance of training for professional users; emphasizes that non-professional use should be limited when possible in order to reduce misuse;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Highlights the importance of continuous training for users to ensure the proper and appropriate use of plant protection products; considers it fitting to distinguish between professional and amateur users; notes that plant protection products are used in private gardens, railways and public parks;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Emphasises that the Regulation should better reflect the need to promote agricultural practices based on integrated pest management as appropriate, including by stimulating the development of low- risk, high-efficacy, substances;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Stresses the added value of biological products to the market of plant protection products; acknowledges the need for more research into these products as their composition and functioning is radically different from conventional products; underlines this also includes the need for more expertise within EFSA to evaluate these biological active substances; and more expertise in the national competent authorities to evaluate these products;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Highlights that many authorised PPPs have not been evaluated against EU standards for more than 15 years, as a consequence of delays in the authorisation procedures;
Amendment 139 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 8 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Expresses concerns about the small amount of new substances that have been approved, while at the same time other substances have been taken of the market; stresses the importance of a suitable tool box of plant protection products for farmers to secure the EU's food supply;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Is concerned that the harmonisation of guidelines in fields like ecotoxicology or environmental fate and behaviour isare not yet complensolidated;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. 13. Welcomes the concept of the zonal system and its aim to facilitate the efficient authorisation of plant protection products; considers the mutual recognition procedure as vital for sharing the work load and to encourage compliance with deadlines;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Regrets the lack of trust between Member States in the zonal system leading to significant delays in the approval process; calls on the Commission to improve the functioning of the zonal system.
Amendment 150 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Stresses the importance of a regulatory framework that stimulates and facilitates research and innovation in order to develop better and safer plant protection products, while at the same time securing the availability of a broad range of plant protection products.
Amendment 157 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8 b. Highlights that special attention should be given to the role of small and medium entreprises (SMEs) in the development of new products, as SMEs often lack the extraordinary resources that are nessesary in the process of development and approval of new substances.
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. CThe purpose of this Regulation is to ensure a high level of protection of both human and animal health and the environment and at the same time to safeguard the competitiveness of Community agriculture; calls on the Commission and the Member States to acknowledge that plant health and environmental protection objectives should take priority over the objective of improving plant protection; plays an important role in meeting our health and environmental protection objectives;
Amendment 166 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8 c. Stresses that more priority should be given to the authorisation process of low-risk substances
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls on the Commission, the agencies and competent authorities to review and improve their communication on risk assessment procedures and risk management decisions in order to improve public trust in the authorisation system;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on the Member States to limit the authorisations granted under better implement the national authorisation procedures, in order to limit derogations usingnder Article 53 of the Regulation;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Is concerned about public perception of plant protection products of biological origin; notes that these substances are not automatically 'low- risk' and should be subject to the same rigorous evaluations as other substances;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the Commission to limitconsider how to address concerns regarding the use of the confirmatory data procedure and notes that complete dossiers are important for active substance approvals;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Calls for an awareness campaign on the availability of counterfeit pesticides on the market and the damage they pose to the effective implementation of the Regulation, urges action to combat their use;