Progress: Procedure lapsed or withdrawn
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | ENVI | ||
| Committee Opinion | DEVE | ||
| Committee Opinion | AGRI |
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 57, TFEU 192-p1
Legal Basis:
RoP 57, TFEU 192-p1Subjects
Events
The European Parliament rejected (by 207 votes to 299, with 121 abstentions) 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. It invited the Commission to withdraw its proposal.
With this vote, Parliament has completed its first reading. The Council still has to state its own position on the proposal in order to determine whether it is definitively rejected or sent back to Parliament for a second reading.
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.
PURPOSE: to reduce the use and risks of pesticides in the EU and to achieve the objectives set out in the Farm to Table Strategy and the EU Biodiversity Strategy.
PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.
ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.
BACKGROUND: Directive 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council established a framework for achieving a sustainable use of pesticides by reducing the risks and impacts of pesticide use on human health and the environment. The evaluation of this Directive has shown that it has not achieved its overall objectives and that Member States have not implemented it satisfactorily
In its resolution of 12 February 2019 on the implementation of Directive 2009/128/EC on the sustainable use of pesticides, the European Parliament stated that the EU should act without delay to move towards a more sustainable use of pesticides and called on the Commission to propose an ambitious and binding Union-wide target for reducing pesticide use. The European Parliament reiterated its call for binding reduction targets in its resolution of 20 October 2021 on a ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy.
The Commission's Farm to Fork strategy proposes two specific objectives, namely to reduce the use of chemical pesticides and the risks associated with them and to reduce the use of more hazardous pesticides by 2030. EU regulation in this area should therefore be strengthened .
The Commission proposal has the following objectives:
- reduce the use and risk of chemical pesticides, in particular those containing more hazardous active substances;
- increase the application and enforcement of integrated pest management (IPM); and
- increase the use of less hazardous and non-chemical alternatives to chemical pesticides for pest control;
- improve the availability of monitoring data;
- improve the implementation, application and enforcement of legal provisions across all Member States to improve policy effectiveness and efficiency;
- promote the adoption of new technologies, such as precision farming that makes use of space data and services (including geospatial localisation techniques), with the aim of reducing the overall use and risk of pesticides.
CONTENT: the Commission proposes new rules to reduce the use and risks of plant protection products in the EU , in line with the objective of a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system set out in the Farm to Table strategy.
Binding targets
The proposal sets out the EU's objectives of reducing pesticide use and associated risks by 50% , in line with the Farm to Table strategy, to which Member States will (collectively) have to contribute . It foresees that Member States should adopt binding targets under their national law, which can deviate from the 50% level of the EU targets under a binding formula. The Commission would issue recommendations to set increasing targets in certain cases and would publish trends in progress towards the EU's 2030 reduction targets.
Pest control
The proposal sets out strict rules to ensure that pest control is environmentally friendly through a comprehensive implementation framework in which all farmers practice ‘integrated pest management’. The use of plant protection products would only be possible as a last resort after alternative methods have been considered.
The proposal requires professional users to keep records on IPM and to use independent advisors. It provides for the adoption and oversight of crop-specific rules for IPM that must be respected by professional users. It also provides for the establishment of an electronic IPM register.
Requirements for the use, storage and disposal of pesticides
The proposal sets out the requirement for professional users, distributors and advisors to hold a training certificate in certain circumstances. It also sets out general requirements for the use of pesticides and application equipment. In addition, it contains provisions on:
- the use of plant protection products : all pesticides would be banned from use in such areas (and within 3 metres of such areas) such as public parks or gardens, playgrounds or sports grounds, public footpaths, and environmentally sensitive areas;
- protection of the aquatic environment and drinking water : the use of all plant protection products is prohibited on all surface waters and within 3 metres of such waters;
- aerial application : this should be prohibited, with limited derogations on a case-by-case basis where it has a less negative impact on human health and the environment than any alternative application method;
- storage, disposal and handling : Member States should have in place effective measures and the necessary structures to facilitate the safe disposal of any unused plant protection products, dilute solutions containing plant protection products and packaging in a manner that does not endanger human health or the environment.
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
Under the new CAP (due to be implemented from 1 January 2023), Member States will be helped to: (i) fund actions in line with the pesticide-reduction targets in the farm-to-fork strategy; and (ii) promote sustainable farming practices.
Documents
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2024)109
- Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T9-0424/2023
- Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading: A9-0339/2023
- Committee opinion: PE746.873
- Contribution: COM(2022)0305
- Committee opinion: PE745.174
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE746.673
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE746.674
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE746.683
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE745.541
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE745.542
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE745.543
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE745.544
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE746.671
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE745.545
- Contribution: COM(2022)0305
- Committee of the Regions: opinion: CDR4989/2022
- Committee draft report: PE742.368
- Economic and Social Committee: opinion, report: CES3220/2022
- Contribution: COM(2022)0305
- Contribution: COM(2022)0305
- Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex
- Document attached to the procedure: SEC(2022)0257
- Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex
- Document attached to the procedure: SWD(2022)0169
- Document attached to the procedure: SWD(2022)0170
- Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex
- Document attached to the procedure: SWD(2022)0171
- Legislative proposal published: COM(2022)0305
- Legislative proposal published: EUR-Lex
- Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex SEC(2022)0257
- Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex SWD(2022)0169
- Document attached to the procedure: SWD(2022)0170
- Document attached to the procedure: EUR-Lex SWD(2022)0171
- Economic and Social Committee: opinion, report: CES3220/2022
- Committee draft report: PE742.368
- Committee of the Regions: opinion: CDR4989/2022
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE745.541
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE745.542
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE745.543
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE745.544
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE746.671
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE745.545
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE746.673
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE746.674
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE746.683
- Committee opinion: PE745.174
- Committee opinion: PE746.873
- Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T9-0424/2023
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2024)109
- Contribution: COM(2022)0305
- Contribution: COM(2022)0305
- Contribution: COM(2022)0305
- Contribution: COM(2022)0305
Activities
- Sarah WIENER
Plenary Speeches (5)
- 2023/11/21 Sustainable use of plant protection products (debate)
- 2023/11/21 Sustainable use of plant protection products (debate)
- 2023/11/21 Sustainable use of plant protection products (debate)
- 2023/11/21 Sustainable use of plant protection products (debate)
- 2023/11/22 Sustainable use of plant protection products (A9-0339/2023 - Sarah Wiener) (vote)
- Heidi HAUTALA
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Sylvia LIMMER
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Clara AGUILERA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Maria ARENA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Franc BOGOVIČ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Paolo DE CASTRO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Angel DZHAMBAZKI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Jan HUITEMA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Peter JAHR
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Jiří POSPÍŠIL
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Michèle RIVASI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Marc TARABELLA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Juozas OLEKAS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Sandra PEREIRA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Mick WALLACE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Edina TÓTH
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Mazaly AGUILAR
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Rosanna CONTE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Sara SKYTTEDAL
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Anna DEPARNAY-GRUNENBERG
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Krzysztof JURGIEL
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Isabel CARVALHAIS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Claude GRUFFAT
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Maria Angela DANZÌ
Plenary Speeches (1)
ECR
ID
NI
The Left
Verts/ALE
Renew
S&D
PPE