ECPA Welcomes EU Rulings
16 April 2007 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."
The Committee also rejected calls to introduce a general tax on chemical plant protection products. The introduction of a new tax would have increased the costs of production, endangering the competitiveness of the European agricultural sector, according to 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."
Positive amendments were accepted which will ensure that the revised legislation continues to provide swift access to the market for new and innovative substances, said ECPA.
The next step in the process will be the vote in the Industry Committee in early May on the proposals for the Framework Directive and for the Regulation.
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