European blueprint for pesticide policy 2.0

“For the N-VA, the protection of public health and the environment is essential.” MEP Mark Demesmaeker reacts positively to the recommendations for the pesticide policy that the European Parliament approved on Wednesday. The recommendations are the end result of the Special Committee on the authorisation procedure for pesticides. The Committee was set up a year ago in the wake of the Monsanto Papers. In its conclusions, the Special Committee hammers home the importance of more transparency and independent research. “We are guarding against a plea for zero tolerance. We need workable and realistic solutions,” says Mark Demesmaeker.

Key question unanswered

Yet the key question remains unanswered, according to MEP Mark Demesmaeker. “The question of whether glyphosate is carcinogenic or not can only be answered by additional research, not by a political committee. The report acknowledges that too.” Finally, Mark Demesmaeker hopes that this report can spark a wider debate on a more sustainable agriculture: “It is clear that agriculture as we know it today cannot be sustained in the medium to longer term. We must turn our thoughts thoroughly to a new sustainable model. This approach still surfaces too little in the debate.”