EU member states have called for a new impact assessment on the European Commission’s proposal to slash the use and risk of pesticides, citing concerns over food security and resilience, but the EU executive has stood firm in its convictions.

Under the proposal on the sustainable use of pesticides regulation unveiled back in June after a series of setbacks, member states will be asked to set their own national reduction targets within defined parameters.

While the EU executive already carried out an impact assessment of the proposal prior to the war, member states are now arguing this is now obsolete in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has sent shockwaves through the global food chain.

“For the sake of the quality of legislation, I ask the European Commission to carry out a new reliable impact assessment, taking into account the effects of war in Ukraine, and to re-examine the proposed legal solutions,” Polish secretary of state, Ryszard Bartosik, explained during the meeting, stressing the emphasis should be on “ensur[ing] food security of EU citizens and preserving food sovereignty.”

A number of other member states rallied around Poland’s call, including the likes of Hungary, Austria, Spain, and Romania, the latter of which pointed out that the EU cannot afford to reduce productivity in the current context.

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