ECPA disappointed with Commission proposal to replace Directive 91/414/EEC

Brussels, 12 July - The European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) today reacted with disappointment to the Commission's proposal to replace Directive 91/414/EEC concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market. After several years of drafting and formal consultations, the Commission has proposed the following:
· Removing the possibility of national provisional authorisations
· Maintaining 10 years data protection for new substances but removing protection for new data requested for the review of substances and products
· Introducing hazard-based criteria to the regulatory approval process
· Introducing a class of substances that will be considered as 'candidates for substitution'

According to ECPA Director General, Dr Friedhelm Schmider, "The proposal introduces unnecessary new hurdles for the authorisation of pesticides, and at the same time it ignores the goals of the Lisbon Agenda by removing measures that are vital to encourage continued investment in innovation and employment in the sector."

Dr Schmider continued, "We are very disappointed that the proposal introduces changes in the data protection rules that will reduce the incentive to invest in new information, thus reducing the availability of a wide range of products that is essential for resistance management and product stewardship.

"The removal of the current system of national provisional authorisations will increase the time to market as the European administrative procedures will need to be completed before new products can be marketed. We appreciate the efforts being made to improve the decision making procedures, but we believe that it is unrealistic to expect a decision that currently takes 4-6 years to be taken in two years in future."

Another main concern of the crop protection industry is the introduction in the proposal of hazard based cut-off criteria, which Euros Jones, ECPA's Regulatory Affairs Director, believes "will lead to the revocation of dozens of substances and consequently hundreds of safe uses. The hazard-based approach is based purely on political perception; additional measures should only be introduced to ensure and improve protection of consumers and the environment. Additional criteria listing substances as candidates for substitution will lead to an even greater reduction in the number of safe crop protection solutions available for farmers."

The crop protection industry accepts strict controls for plant protection products, which should be based only on the assessment of risk. The principle of risk reduction has been embodied in the Commission proposals on the Thematic Strategy and Framework Directive on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides, which were also published today. ECPA is broadly supportive of these Thematic Strategy proposals which aim at complementing the existing legal framework on plant protection products with a framework targeting the actual use phase.

ECPA's main aim is to ensure a workable and sustainable system of regulation, which is science-based to protect health and the environment, while also ensuring that consumers have access to affordable fresh foods. ECPA will remain a committed partner to the Commission, Parliament, Council and other EU institutions throughout the legislative process.