Learned from glyphosate discussion
Brussels more transparent about crop protection
The European Commission (EC) wants to make the process surrounding the authorization of plant protection products more transparent. Citizens are given access to the scientific studies, which makes the process more transparent.
In doing so, the Commission is drawing a lesson from the controversy surrounding the renewal of the glyphosate license† Pressured by a petition signed by more than 1 million Europeans, Brussels pledged in December to review the legislation. "This will give citizens direct access to the scientific studies on plant protection product authorization requests," said European Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukiaitis.
More public
The reform proposed by the Commission aims to make risk assessments of plant protection products publicly available at an early stage of the procedure. A system will be developed in which all studies will be brought together. These are studies that have been commissioned by companies that want to market a plant protection product.
In this way, the Commission ensures that adverse investigations are not hidden. The Commission can also ask the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) to carry out additional studies when exceptional circumstances so require, such as a high degree of division around a particular substance.
More responsibility Member States
Brussels also wants the responsibility of the member states (within EFSA) to be strengthened by experts from the member states. "It is necessary that citizens believe that the system works well," said Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans.
The legislative reform focuses on 8 different sectors related to food safety; in addition to phytosanitary products, this mainly concerns transparency with regard to GMOs, food additives (human and animal) and materials that come into contact with food.
The EC proposal is now in the hands of the 2 European legislators: the Parliament and the Council (the Member States).
Anne-Jan Doorn
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