Allister pledges to vote against EU pesticides proposals
08 January 2009
TUV MEP Jim Allister has said he will be voting against proposals which would see up to a quarter of all crop protection products being banned from use across the EU.
A crucial vote is scheduled to take place next week as this draft legislation comes before the European Parliament for its Second Reading.
The Ulster MEP said,
“While there is some evidence that proposals have been ‘watered down’, the current compromise goes too far, and is predicted to have major repercussions on food production, food security and food prices across the EU. The European Commission has still not thought it worth its while to undertake a comprehensive impact assessment to ascertain the full impact of its hazard-based approach.”
“In its latest assessment of the revised proposals, the UK’s Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) has warned of substantial yield losses of around 20% to future cereal crops. Massive implications have also predicted for carrots, parsnips and onions due to the removal of a majority of herbicide products, if current proposals become law. Indeed, the PSD has said up to 100% of future British carrot crops could be lost without any proven gains to human health.”
“On top of the obvious financial implications for producers and farmers, the proposals in question are predicted to rapidly inflate food prices, with some commentators predicting that potatoes, for example, could rise in price by as much as 100% as supplies become less plentiful.”
“72 Scientists from across Europe have registered their opposition to these proposals, the UK Government opposes the move away from a risk-based approach, and I most certainly will be voting against these wholly detrimental proposals.”
ENDS
