The proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the sustainable use of plant protection products (PPPs), presented by the European Commission in June 2022, aimed to reduce the use of PPPs by 2030 and to ensure greater compliance with the objectives of the European Green Deal and the “farm to fork” strategy.

When the proposal was presented, Slovenia supported in principle the need for the more sustainable use of PPPs, but at the same time pointed out Slovenia’s specific conditions that would be very negatively affected by the new regulation, in particular:

• a total ban on the use of all PPPs in sensitive areas accounting for more than 40% of agricultural land in use in Slovenia, which means that a total ban would lead to the abandonment of farming in these areas,
• a requirement for a significant reduction in the use of all PPPs by 2030, irrespective of the specificities of individual Member States; and
• additional red tape for PPP users and competent authorities.

Similar concerns were expressed by other Member States.

The process of discussing the proposal at the level of the Council of the European Union showed significant differences between the countries, and the final compromise proposal of the Council of the EU was in some areas below the standards of the sustainable use of PPPs already in force in Slovenia.

Slovenia therefore supports the announced withdrawal of the proposal for a regulation and expects the European Commission to draft a new proposal soon, one that will take into account the availability of alternative methods of plant protection and the specificities of individual Member States, and limit the use of PPPs in a way that will allow the continuation of sustainable agriculture on the one hand and ensure high standards of protecting human health and the environment on the other.