ECPA responds to 'award' nomination

The European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) has written an open letter in response its recent nomination for a so-called 'Democracy for Sale Award', a scheme organised by four NGOs that aims to "expose the privileged access and influence of corporations in European policy making", and in particular "expose the collusion between business groups and the EC over the ongoing negotiations of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)".
 

Outlining the 'nomination' last week, the NGOs – namely LobbyControl, Friends of the Earth Europe, WeMove and Corporate Europe Observatory – wrote to Euros Jones, regulatory affairs director of the ECPA, saying they had found "strong evidence that your trade association, as well as your US counterpart CropLife America, has enjoyed a cosy relationship with the European Commission".
 

They went on to explain how their research had found that the ECPA's plans for regulatory cooperation on pesticides would weaken the EU's more protective laws and would lead to a US-style regulation, with greater freedom for the pesticide industry.
 

"Furthermore, we take the view that your demands for TTIP would increase the amounts of pesticide residues on food and the amount of carcinogens, endocrine-disrupting chemicals and pollinator-killing pesticides in Europe," the NGOs stated. "In addition, they could also weaken public access to information on pesticides and increase industry influence in decision-making processes, thus undermining democracy."
 

ECPA response
 

The ECPA was offered until the 5 September to respond to the nomination, which it has now done in an open letter to Lora Verheecke, who penned the initial nomination statement on behalf of the NGOs.
 

Written by Graeme Taylor, the director of public affairs for ECPA, the response highlights how the association "values the importance of democracy" and "participates fully in the democratic process".
 

He also denies accusations of collusion with the EC, noting that the ECPA is "legitimately representing our interests, engaging in dialogue and urging the EU and US to adopt a framework for pesticide regulation that is predictable and robust", while adding that the organisation is happy to address any concerns over pesticides in an "open and honest debate".