A new term begins in Europe and, as always, it promises to be a historic milestone, with a new team ready to reinvent European agriculture. In June elections to the European Parliament were held, resulting in a different composition of the legislative chamber. The same happened with the new College of Commissioners, recently approved in Strasbourg, which includes significant changes in those responsible for Agriculture, Environment and Health. Above all, the growing emphasis that European institutions are giving to agriculture, food safety and, specifically, the strategic vision of innovation in the plant health sector stands out. Safety, health, innovation are key words.
In the previous legislature, Europe faced a particularly complicated context, marked by the pandemic and various international crises that affected the supply of raw materials and food. During that time, the European Commission launched the European Green Deal and its strategies From farm to table y Biodiversityestablishing concrete objectives to reduce the use of phytosanitary products. These initiatives gave rise to legislative proposals with diverse impacts on agriculture, particularly on the availability of tools for plant health. Among these, highlighted the Regulation of sustainable use of phytosanitary productswhich aimed to reduce its use.
From the plant health sector, as pointed out by the Business Association for the Protection of Plants (AEPLA), the need for a regulatory framework that prioritizes scientific evidence is insisted on. The strategic dialogue initiated in spring with all actors in the agricultural sector demonstrates that it is possible to develop inclusive agricultural policies, considering the entire chain: producers, input suppliers, distribution, etc.
Furthermore, the Draghi report on The Future of European competitiveness underlines the urgency for Europe to accelerate the adoption of technology and innovation to boost productivity and growth. This report highlights the need to reduce regulatory barriers and improve public support for disruptive innovation. It proposes placing research and innovation at the center of the strategic priorities of the European Union, as key elements for the transition towards a more resilient and sustainable model.
On the other hand, the president of the European Commission has committed to presenting, in the first 100 days of her mandate, a report on the European vision of agriculture and food. This document should include strategic recommendations based on the aforementioned reports. At AEPLA they consider it essential to adopt a comprehensive approach that combines diverse solutions: conventional, authorized, effective phytosanitary products, always prescribed by a plant medicine professional. Biosolutions, which allow pests or diseases to be controlled using other organisms or inducing the development of self-defense of crops. Biotechnology, which allows the development of crop varieties resistant to pests or diseases, as well as climatic or soil factors that limit their productive potential. Precision agriculture and digitalization, which optimize crop health, to name just one example, through the use of drones, whether for detection, monitoring or the application of phytosanitary products.
