Question for written answer E-011386/2015 to the Commission
Rule 130
Julie Girling (ECR)
Subject: Natural pesticides
According to media sources[1], the UK Soil Association – which advocates for organic farming in the United Kingdom – has previously recommended that growers use a ‘natural’ pesticide known as azadirachtin, which has been shown by researchers at the University of Ghent to be deadly to bumblebees. As the Commission has found, ‘Bumblebees are negatively affected by the insecticide azadirachtin even at concentrations 50 times lower than the recommended levels used by farmers[2].’
Now that the Commission has recognised the hazard posed by this pesticide for organic crops, is it aware that many of the ‘natural’ pesticides that are widely used in organic farming pose a serious risk to biodiversity?
How can it justify a double standard in which organic pesticides are given a separate and more lenient risk assessment than modern, conventional pesticides?
[1] http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/environment/article4472324.ece,http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/11679681/Soil-Association-approved-use-of-unauthorised-pesticide-on-organic-crops.html
[2] http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/bumblebee_survival_and_reproduction_impaired_by_pesticide_azadirachtin_even_at_recommended_levels_416na2_en.pdf
EN
E-011386/2015
Answer given by Mr Andriukaitis on behalf of the Commission
On the basis of conclusions of the European Food Safety Authority of 2011[1], azadirachtin was included by Commission Implementing Directive 2011/44/EU in Annex I to Directive 1991/414/EEC[2], subject to submission of confirmatory studies. The assessment of such studies is on-going and the Commission has made available the study to which the Honourable Member refers to the rapporteur Member State for azadirachtin to be duly examined.
The Commission would like to clarify that there is no double-standard with respect to plant protection product used in organic farming because any plant protection product placed on the market or used in the EU must be authorised in compliance with provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009[3] on placing of plant protection products on the market.
The above-mentioned Regulation provides for strict criteria and comprehensive requirements, which include assessment of impact on biodiversity and do not cover only chemical substances, but also plant extracts, semio-chemicals such as pheromones, and micro-organisms used in plant protection products.
Finally, if in the light of new scientific and technical knowledge, the Commission considers that there are indications that a substance no longer satisfies the approval criteria, Article 21 of the said Regulation includes specific provisions for possible review of the approval.
[2] Commission Implementing Directive 2011/44/EU of 13 April 2011 amending Council Directive 91/414/EEC to include azadirachtin as active substance and amending Commission Decision 2008/941/EC, OJ L 100, 14.4.2011, p. 43–46
[3] Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market and repealing Council Directives 79/117/EEC and 91/414/EEC, OJ L 309, 24.11.2009, p. 1–50
