ECPA said in a release that the group welcomes the Agriculture Committee’s "common-sense approach" of encouraging further risk reduction measures, rather than implementing arbitrary quantitative reduction targets on the use of plant protection products. ECPA’s Senior Manager for Agriculture and Environmental Policy, Claudia Michel, stated that "We are pleased that the Agriculture Committee placed higher importance on further risk reduction, and we believe that improving knowledge on the safe and sustainable use of plant protection products contributes to this goal."
El Comité también rechazó los llamamientos para introducir un impuesto general sobre los productos fitosanitarios químicos. La introducción de un nuevo impuesto habría aumentado los costes de producción, poniendo en peligro la competitividad del sector agrícola europeo, según ECPA.
ECPA also welcomed the Committee’s decision to keep aerial spraying legal, as it is the only practical and responsible way of applying plant protection products in specific situations.
ECPA also welcomed the outcomes from the votes in the Internal Market Committee and Agriculture Committee on the Regulation proposal. In particular, ECPA noted, the numerous amendments put forward concerning provisions on the parallel import of plant protection products in the EU are "a very positive development which should help in keeping illegal products off the market."
ECPA’s Director of Regulatory Affairs, Euros Jones, praised this decision in particular, saying, "This is a positive signal that EU controls will be put in place to ensure better controls of all products placed on the market."
Se aceptaron enmiendas positivas que garantizarán que la legislación revisada continúe proporcionando un acceso rápido al mercado de sustancias nuevas e innovadoras, dijo la ECPA.
El siguiente paso del proceso será la votación en el Comité de Industria a principios de mayo sobre las propuestas de Directiva marco y Reglamento.