FRANCE: Action plan for plant protection products

The French action plan on plant protection products and on a less pesticide-dependent agriculture was presented on 25 April 2018. It incorporates the proposals of the stakeholders consulted since last February, 15th.

This action plan is structured around four priorities:

• Rapidly reduce the use of substances of greatest health and environmental concerns

In this context, France will ask the European Commission to put an end as soon as possible to the approval of substances that are subject to cut-off criteria under the EU regulation: carcinogens category 1, mutagens category 1 or toxic for the reproduction category 1, or endocrine disruptors for humans or the environment, persistent bioaccumulative and toxic substances, or very persistent and very bioaccumulative substances. France will systematically oppose the extension and renewal of these substances.

France will also ask ANSES to start as early as 2018 a scientific review of the substances of greatest concern for health and the environment mentioned by the CGAAER-IGAS-CGEDD mission and whose European approval expires after 2018.

The plan provides for a separation of distribution and advising activities and a revision of the tax for diffuse pollution (RPPD) to encourage incentives to reduce the use of PPPs and help financially for the transitions.

• Better know the impacts to better inform, protect the population and the professionals and preserve the environment

• Amplify the research and development of alternatives and the implementation of these solutions by farmers

France will notably strengthen its support for the development of biocontrol by supporting the innovation of very small, small and medium-sized companies by mobilising the major investment plan and improving the approval process for biocontrol products (in particular by shortening timelines) and to propose at European level the recognition of biocontrol products in the context of the revision of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009.

France will also support farmers towards the ban of glyphosate and the reduction of plant protection products within 3 years.

• Strengthen the Ecophyto 2 plan, improve its governance and functioning

The Action Plan is accompanied by a timetable and a method of implementation:

• Several working groups are set up in order to implement certain actions of the plan
• Two referrals of scientific organisms have already been made, including one to ANSES:
  • development of specifications to launch an experimental study on the carcinogenicity of glyphosate

and 3 new referrals will be sent to ANSES in one month:

• establishment of a list of the substances of greatest concern with regard to the risks they may pose to public health or the environment, in particular carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxins and endocrine disruptors which will still be approved after 2018;
• identification of the substances of concern for which the Government will intervene with the European Commission so that they can be included as soon as possible in the list of substances candidates  for substitution;
• proposals to strengthen existing regulations on pollinators, taking into account the safety of operators.

The Ecophyto 2 plan will be adapted to integrate the priorities of this action plan. The Ecophyto 2+ plan will be submitted for public consultation in July 2018.

To download:

Plan d’actions sur les produits phytopharmaceutiques et une agriculture moins dépendante aux pesticides (in French)

Mise en oeuvre du plan d’actions – Calendrier et méthode (in French)

See also our previous articles:

FRANCE: 18 actives on the hot seat: new action plan to reduce the use of PPPs

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