Pesticide controls vote in European Parliament slammed by local Euro MP

4.34.30pm GMT Tue 13th Jan 2009

The European Parliament has voted to tighten rules on pesticide use and ban at least 22 chemicals deemed harmful to human health, but local Euro MP Diana Wallis has slammed the procedure saying that it was impossible to ascertain the facts and therefore impossible for MEPs to make a considered judgement.

After the vote in Strasbourg, Diana Wallis, the Liberal Democrat MEP for Yorkshire & the Humber, said:

"Of course in common with many colleagues I want to protect the quality and health of our plant environment and also human health but I also have to take into account the needs and the costs to a very significant local growing and agricultural industry.

"The problem with this legislative proposal has been that right up to the last minute MEPs have been subject to all sorts of information much of which is conflicting. For example, it came to light just yesterday evening that the new law will require special assessments of products that could affect the exposure of bees (the numbers of which are in steep decline) to pesticides, in particular through nectar and pollen. This is actually good news and something I wholeheartedly support but we were presented with an overall take it or leave it package in the vote today.

"This is an impossible way to make legislation - it would have benefitted from going to a '3rd reading', i.e a final and more detailed consideration of some of the outstanding issues, for instance where it seems that the damper climate in the UK and Ireland require different solutions from elsewhere in Europe. Also further consideration of certain derogations.'

"Today I did something which I detest doing in an important vote: I abstained. In the event the package was passed with a huge majority. Now the task is to make it work for our farmers and growers. The challenge will be for our Government to now allow, where it would be helpful, some of the alternative pesticides available and authorised elsewhere in Europe onto the UK market and above all to ensure investment into research for acceptable alternatives suitable to our climatic conditions before the cut off date of 2013."

Ends.