Robert Sturdy

Pesticides ban: impact of European Parliament’s vote becoming clearer

Pesticides Safety Directorate outlines some substances facing the axe

Brussels, 9th February 2009 — The UK’s Pesticides Safety Directorate has shown the true extent the European Parliament’s vote on plant protection products in January will have on crop production in Britain.

According to its latest impact assessment, the PSD argues that products that control diseases in potatoes, oilseed rape, lettuces, peas, spinach, celery, onions and carrots could all be lost.

The key issue left to resolve is a clear definition of an ‘endocrine disruptor’. Under the parliament’s vote, these would be banned from the market, yet no clear definition was given. If, for example, all triazoles are classified as endocrine disruptors, wheat yields would drop by 10-20 percent.

Conservative MEP Robert Sturdy has agreed that there do need to be tighter controls on pesticide use. However, he has argued against the draconian approach taken by the MEPs, which will harm food production and threaten Europe’s food security.

He said:

“The true extent of the parliament’s vote is now being realised. Products that we rely on to control vital crops are going to be lost.

“Food security in Europe and across the developing world is becoming a major issue, yet the parliament has voted to make food production more difficult.

“Falling food yields can only mean rising prices in the weekly food shop.

“The PSD has accepted that their report is far from conclusive because there is still no clear definition of an endocrine disruptor. All along, we have called for a comprehensive European Commission impact assessment, yet one has not been provided. While this report gives a good indication, the full impact of the EU’s new pesticides rules must be detailed by the commission.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The PSD report is available here: http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/uploadedfiles/Web_Assets/PSD/Outcomes_paper_-_summary_impact_assessment_(Jan_09).pdf

Contact: Robert on +32 228 45294; robert.sturdy@europarl.europa.eu

James Holtum, Conservative Press Office, tel:+32 (0) 473 861762; james.holtum@europarl.europa.eu
Gareth Goldsmith, Conservative Press Office, tel: +32 (0) 476 668050; gareth.goldsmith@europarl.europa.eu