We can only decide on the use of pesticides if we know the exact numbers

By: STA Date: 2022. 12. 20. 09:40

Hungary agrees with the need to reduce the use of plant protection agents, but consumers have the right to know how much more they will have to pay for food because of this, said Minister of Agriculture István Nagy.

(Photo: Pixabay)

The head of the ministry said that no responsible decision can be made until it is known how much the European Union’s agricultural production will decrease, how much food prices will rise and how much import exposure will increase as a result of the Commission’s proposal. The impact study, which is intended to present the consequences of the proposal, does not numerically include the expected economic effects. In order to be able to have a meaningful discussion on the proposal, it is essential that the Commission prepare a preliminary calculation of the expected decrease in production, the increase in food prices and import exposure, the latter of which also represents an extremely serious and unpredictable food safety risk. Therefore, the majority of the member states asked the European Commission in a council resolution to supplement the impact study related to its proposal on the reduction of plant protection agents – the minister underlined.

Union guidelines must be followed

István Nagy pointed out that in the proposal published in June, the European Commission proposed a 50% reduction of plant protection agents for all member states, based on the lawnmower principle, without taking into account the different starting points of each member state and the results achieved so far. It is an inescapable aspect that a member state must halve the use of pesticides below the EU average, or even several times higher than the average. The minister added that the draft is also problematic from the point of view that it would completely ban the use of plant protection products in so-called sensitive areas, including nitrate-sensitive areas. This accounts for almost 80% of the cultivated agricultural area of the Union. Such a decision would result in a serious decrease in crop yields, which is an unacceptable risk in the current war situation, which also threatens food security, the minister emphasized. He explained that reducing the use of pesticides is in the interest of society as a whole, and an agreement is needed that finds the delicate balance between health, environmental and climate protection, as well as competitiveness and economic aspects.