Is the regulatory regime for the registration of plant protection products in the EU potentially compromising food security?

Abstract

The increasingly stringent regulatory regime governing the registration of active substances and plant protection products in the European Union (EU) is deterring R & D companies from introducing products based on new active substances into the market. They are instead developing new products for initial market introduction in other parts of the world. Consequently EU farmers and growers are being denied products that are available elsewhere. The cost of maintaining existing active substances is also becoming prohibitive, leading to loss of products from the market with the consequential impact on growers' ability to produce many crops. Minor uses are suffering in particular. This in turn is having an impact on food production and food security within the EU. The European Commission is urged to take advantage of the opportunity available in the current legislation to make proposals for improvements and amendments in order to redress the imbalance between the EU and other markets.