EU Ag Ministers endorse increasing the availability of low-risk agrochemicals

EU Agriculture Ministers endorse an implementation plan and recommendations on the acceleration of sustainable plant protection (10041/1/16 REV 1). The plan acknowledges the progress the EU has made to date and identifies actions to be taken by the Commission, member states and stakeholders with the aim of increasing the availability of low-risk plant protection products and speeding up the implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in the EU. 
 

The plan was prepared by an expert group proposed by the Netherlands and facilitated by the Commission after the AGRIFISH Council meeting on 22 October 2015. It comprises of representative of member states and of the EFSA (European Food Safety Agency). The group met five times between December 2015 and May 2016 and delivered an implementation plan and some recommendations. 
 

In particular, it recommended measures to accelerate the availability of low risk substances, further progress in sharing information on IPM between member states through EU training initiatives and the internet, and that the member states and the Commission follow up on the implementation of the plan by discussing its progress in the expert group, the Standing Committee and the Council.