European growers come together over EU Plant Protection proposals

Ornamentals growers from across Europe have agreed that there is a significant threat posed by the European Parliament proposals on Plant Protection and have decided to continue lobbying MEPs from across Europe for a comprehensive EU-wide assessment of the likely impact of these proposals.
Following a request from the UK's Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) the European Nursery Stock Association (ENA) held an emergency meeting on Tuesday.? Evidence presented included an impact assessment by the British Government (Pesticide Safety Directorate) which shows that up to 85% of the 286 active substances they assessed could be lost in the UK if the European Parliament's proposals go through.

The HTA and the UK's Crop Protection Association (CPA) presented its own campaign for an EU-wide impact assessment and those gathered agreed to make a concerted effort to encourage MEPs to support this.

The second reading for the draft EU Regulation on the Placing of Plant Protection Products on the Market is currently taking place in the European Parliament. Most of the amendments tabled during the first reading - including those on cut-off criteria that would be damaging to the industry - have been tabled again for the second reading. However, a number of MEPs called for an EU-wide impact assessment at the initial exchange of views in the Environment Committee on Monday.

Tim Briercliffe, Director of Business Development at the HTA said: "The evidence we have suggests that, if the Parliament's amendments get through, this regulation will have a severely negative effect on horticulture across Europe. We need trade associations within member states to urgently campaign across Europe for an EU-wide impact assessment before this regulation is passed."

"Such fundamental changes should not be passed into law without a full impact assessment. We have been asking MEPs to table an amendment calling for a comprehensive impact assessment and we will be working with our European partners to encourage others to vote in favour of this." explained Sean McCarthy, Chairman of the Crop Protection Association Garden Expert Group.
The European Nursery Stock Association is made up of organisations representing growers of plants from 15 member states as well as Norway and Switzerland. Its aim is to exchange information between countries and to work on behalf of plant growers across Europe.

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