During the EP Plenary session (13-16/02) in Strasbourg, Pavel POC (S&amp;D, CZ), Author, Vytenis ANDRIUKAITIS, Member of the EC in charge of Health and Food Safety, Norbert LINS (EPP, DE), Julie GIRLING (ECR, UK), Fr&eacute;d&eacute;rique RIES (ALDE, BE) and Bart STAES (Greens/EFA, BE) speak about biological low risk pesticides takes place.

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

GIRLING, Julie (EPP, UK)

ANDRIUKAITIS, Vytenis (LT, EC)

use of pesticides and herbicides (T)

LINS, Norbert (EPP, DE)

RIES, Frédérique (Renew, BE)

STAES, Bart (Greens/EFA, BE)

POC, Pavel (S&D, CZ)

Biological low risk pesticides: extracts from the debate

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/17948300/I133460Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (Czech), Pavel POC (S&amp;D, CZ), Author, The undesirable residues of pesticides can be found in the soil, in water, in the environment and in our food chain, and this is chemical cocktail that we are exposed too, and especially some vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, children and adolescents. Nobody denies that fact that our farmers need to be competitive but I hope that nobody denies the fact that this must not be detrimental to the public health in the EU.

SOUNDBITE (Czech), Pavel POC (S&amp;D, CZ), Author, This resolution calls for a wider use of alternatives, such as these biological pesticides, and they should be part of the integrated protection against pests. And again we want to meet the demand for safe food that are affordable and that it&rsquo;s produced in a sustainable manner.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vytenis ANDRIUKAITIS, Member of the EC in charge of Health and Food Safety, The lack of availability of low risk products depends on various factors, from farmers to national authorities. Member states in particular have the responsibility to manage the sustainable use of pesticides and to promote a greater use of low risk pesticides and of all tools enabling to move towards a greener agriculture. They should create better conditions for this to happen and in particular they should launch awareness campaigns. As for the Commission, we share the view that it is important to take action to increase availability of low risk products and to extend the toolbox of farmers with more sustainable options to protect their crops.

SOUNDBITE (German), Norbert LINS (EPP, DE), These low risk pesticides are good for conventional and also organic farming. The problem is that the authorization and registration procedures take years and this poses a real economic risk, particularly to SMEs, as they are not pharmaceutical giants.

SOUNDBITE (English), Julie GIRLING (ECR, UK), Many biological low risk pesticides just aren&rsquo;t very effective, and this is why they struggle to be authorised. I don&rsquo;t support fast-tracking these products through a simplified authorisation procedure if they don&rsquo;t work; the point of the pesticide is to kill the pests and if farmers use a pesticide believing it will work and it does not work, in the seasons that it takes to realised that the pest can take hold.

SOUNDBITE (French), Fr&#233;d&#233;rique RIES (ALDE, BE), Nothing justifies that there are only 6 active substances classified as low risk that have been authorised in the EU. By way of comparison there are over 300 around the world, in the US or Japan for example.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Bart STAES (Greens/EFA, BE), There is a need for an increase in the use of biological origin pesticides, there got to be more available and we need more research and development projects on them, because they may well be an alternative to conventional pesticides.