Encouraging wider adoption of biological plant protection products

Question for written answer  E-001834/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Maria Spyraki (PPE)

Chemical plant protection products (PPPs) are currently the most commonly used method for protecting crops from parasites, pathogens and weeds. However, the widespread debate concerning the weed killer glyphosate, which is linked to cancer, and the use of neonicotinoid insecticides, which cause a significant reduction in populations of pollinators, has increased the need for alternative methods for protecting crops.

Over the last decade the number of new biological PPPs developed and placed on the market has exceeded the number of conventional PPPs globally. Despite the recent dramatic growth in the biocides market, less than 5% of PPPs sold currently worldwide are biological products.

The existing regulatory framework has a decisive role to play in increasing the application of these PPPs to crops. For example, the International Organisation for Biological Control (IOBC) identified the following constraints on the wider adoption of biocontrol products: complex regulatory procedures, bureaucratic obstacles to access to biological control agents, insufficient information and awareness-raising for the public and growers about the benefits of biological control and the fragmentation of biocontrol sub-sectors.

• 1.What political initiatives has the Commission taken to gradually reduce the use of chemical PPPs, where these pose a risk to public health and/or the environment?
• 2.What existing policies and funding sources could support the wider adoption of biological PPPs as a safe substitute for chemical PPPs?