Everything up to date
Why grandchild-friendly agriculture needs the latest findings and why this now also applies to the authorisation of plant protection products
A fundamental ruling in the Netherlands has now also made it binding at EU level that plant protection products must always be tested in the context of authorisation procedures taking into account the relevant and reliable scientific or technical knowledge available at the time of testing.
Reviewing the tried and tested creates security
Agriculture is developing rapidly and new findings and techniques are readily adopted. But tried and tested methods and experience also count for a lot if they have proven themselves in constant testing. The smaller, older tractor is then often better for some purposes in terms of energy consumption, costs and soil compaction.
If you also take previously unknown aspects into account, you will avoid many irreversible mistakes at an early stage and create future security. So that the grandchildren can still farm well – living provision for the future.
Plant protection products often not up to date with the latest scientific findings
The state of scientific knowledge on side effects and risks is comprehensively reviewed by the EU prior to the initial authorisation of active substances. However, in the case of subsequent new authorisations or re-authorisations of individual products containing the active substance in the individual countries, the state of scientific knowledge did not have to be examined further – even if the basic authorisation of the active substance was granted a long time ago. This meant that even serious new findings did not have to be taken into account. This created uncertainty and risks, because even every single tractor and every crop protection sprayer has to undergo regular MOT inspections.
New court decisions for greater safety and current safety assessments
Following a series of legal disputes concerning individual products in the EU and in individual member states, the Dutch Administrative Court has now issued a fundamental judgement for the implementation of legal practice.
Zitat: „…, dass die zuständige Behörde eines Mitgliedstaats, die einen Antrag auf Zulassung eines Pflanzenschutzmittels zu prüfen hat, bei der Prüfung dieses Antrags die unerwünschten Wirkungen berücksichtigen muss, …, und zwar unter Berücksichtigung der zum Zeitpunkt dieser Prüfung verfügbaren einschlägigen und zuverlässigen wissenschaftlichen oder technischen Kenntnisse,… .“
Qote: “… meaning that the competent authority of a Member State charged with the task of assessing an application for authorisation to place a plant protection market on the market is required, as part of the examination of that application, …, having regard to the relevant and reliable scientific or technical knowledge available at the time of that examination … .”
Science and technical innovations also without chemical agents
This is good news, because only by taking into account up-to-date, reliable information can risks be minimised and confidence in the authorisation procedures be ensured.
Furthermore, it will become clear in the future whether the ‘review of expertise’ will also include physical-technical alternatives to active substances, especially if the plant protection product is a candidate for substitution.
Safety and innovation in a constant state of transformation
The last farmers who still ploughed on horseback are still alive. Today, there are agricultural machines with over 500 horsepower which, thanks to the latest technology, are once again able to work in a way that is soil-friendly. We need continuous, but also disruptive innovations from the field to the table and from technology to people’s consciousness. Only in this way will we be able to feed the world’s population better than before, maintain stable agricultural structures and promote climate protection and biodiversity in agriculture too. Suitability for grandchildren.
Change in agriculture and society can only happen together
The upcoming changes are extensive, complex and require the involvement of many stakeholders. The change in authorisation procedures described above is just one of many building blocks, but they are all necessary. It will not work without targeted co-operation between farmers, associations of all interest groups, politicians, legislators, experts and consumers. And innovative agricultural technology will also make its contribution directly in the field.
This is also what crop.zone stands for with its electrophysical plant management.