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News Releases BCPC and RASE continue challenge over lack of impact assessment 16 February 2009 The European Ombudsman has failed to consider the complaint lodged by the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) and the British Crop Production Council (BCPC), over the failure of the European Commission to undertake a EU-wide impact assessment of the pesticide cut-off criteria, in the proposed replacement of Directive 91/414/EEC. An urgent meeting is now being called for. “We need to understand why the EU Ombudsman feels that this case is a political decision rather than a failure of duty and administrative process by the European Commission,” says Mr Hugh Oliver-Bellasis, President of BCPC and Chairman of RASE. “We have therefore requested an urgent meeting with him to include representatives from RASE, BCPC and key food chain organisations from both the UK and EU who have called for action on this issue.” The publication of the proposal to replace Directive 91/414/EEC was not accompanied by an impact assessment which examined the impact of the proposed hazard-based regulatory cut-off criteria to the approval process for new substances. As a result there are significant worries in the food and farming industry, and concerns from several Member States, about the detrimental impact of the proposal on agricultural production. "Having met with Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Defra to discuss this issue, it is now confirmed that the UK will be voting against this Regulation when it comes to the Agriculture Council for final ratification in March or April 2009," warns Mr Oliver-Bellasis. "We hope a meeting with the European Ombudsman will result in agreement that the Commission disobeyed its own rules, and should request a proper assessment by Member States of the impact of the proposed legislation on European food production, the agricultural economy – and indeed if there will be any benefits to health," he says.
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