The president of the EU Commission has announced the withdrawal of the proposed regulation on pesticides
(FILES) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses media during a press conference as part of a European Council meeting at the European headquarters in Brussels, on February 1, 2024. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on February 6, 2024, recommended the bloc drop a plan to cut pesticide use in agriculture as a concession to protesting European farmers. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP)
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«Our farmers deserve to be listened to. I know they are worried about the future of agriculture and their future. But they also know that agriculture must transition to a more sustainable production model, so that their companies remain profitable for years to come.” The president of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen said this at the EP plenary, announcing that she will propose to the college of commissioners “the withdrawal” of the legislative proposal on pesticides. The regulation «has become a symbol of polarization» she explained, underlining that «a new, more mature proposal» will be made in the future.
“Farmers need a good business case for nature improvement measures, and perhaps we haven’t made it convincingly. Of a real incentive that goes beyond the simple loss of yield. Public subsidies can provide such incentives”, clarified the president of the EU Commission, launching the idea of ”premium labelling, for example in collaboration with retailers and processors”.