b'HOW TO OPTIMIZECROP PROTECTIONAND MAINTAIN YIELDS NEW EU REGULATION IS BOOSTING INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENTBY: MARCEL BRUINSO n 22 June 2022, the European Commission published their proposal for a new Regulation on the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products (SUR). These include EU wide targets to reduce by 50 per cent the use and risk of chemical pesticides by 2030, which is in line with the EUs Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies. These new proposals are part of a package of measures to reduce the environmental footprint of the EUs food system and should help mitigate the economic losses due to climate change and biodiversity loss. We wanted to know the impact of this new Regulation on Europes seed sector, so European Seed sat down with Dr. Anja Klatt, Chair of the SUD Committee at Croplife Europe.EUROPEAN SEED (ES): ANJA,Anja KlattCAN YOU EXPLAIN IN A NUTSHELL WHAT THE NEW SUR PROPOSAL ENTAILS?ANJA KLATT (AK): TheEuropeanIPMDEFINITION BY EU COMMISSION Commission intends to meet a few ofIntegrated Pest Management means careful consideration of all the objectives of the EU Farm to Forkavailable plant protection methods and subsequent integration of Strategy through the new proposed SUR.appropriate measures that discourage the development of populations The proposal aims to further increase theof harmful organisms and keep the use of plant protection products uptake of Integrated Pest Managementand other forms of intervention to levels that are economically and (IPM), whilst aiming to reduce by 50 perecologically justified and reduce or minimize risks to human health and cent the overall use and risk of chemicalthe environment. pesticides, as well as the use of more haz-ardous pesticides, by 2030.ES: IS THERE A NEED TO REVISEOur industry has been part of inten- all measures in an electronic IPM regis-THE CURRENT SUD? sive stakeholder exchanges for more thanter. The proposed measures shall ensure AK:ThecurrentDirectiveonthea year. As usual, there are different viewsthat all farmers and other professional Sustainable Use of Pesticides (SUD) wasand opinions, but there is one aspect wepesticide users practice IPM in a proper drafted about 15 years ago. During theseall agree onIPM should be further pro- way. We also agree with the recognition years many improvements have beenmoted and remain the cornerstone of thisthat IPM varies depending on crop and made in the areas of training, handlingregulation. on region. Strawberries grown in Spain and storage of plant protection productsmight require different techniques to or water protection. The revision of theES: WHAT CHANGES AREthose grown in Poland. SUD is a great opportunity to furtherPROPOSED IN THE AREAimprove the uptake of Integrated PestOF IPM? ES: WHAT IS YOUR OPINION?Management including new technologiesAK:The European Commission sug- AK:It is good to see that IPM remains such as biopesticides as well as digitalgests that crop specific guidelines shallthe cornerstone of the new regulation. and precision agriculture tools.be established, and farmers are to enterIn my opinion, the new regulation should 22IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'