European Union may tighten imported crop regulations

The European Union is planning tougher restrictions on imported crops treated with pesticides banned in Europe, a draft European Commission document showed, a move that would impact suppliers.

A draft of the European Union’s Vision for Agriculture and Food policy document confirmed the commission would take a tougher line on imports to ensure a fair level playing field for Europe’s farmers.

“The commission will pursue, in line with international rules, a stronger alignment of production standards applied to imported products, notably on pesticides and animal welfare,” said the draft.

“The commission will ensure that the most hazardous pesticides banned in the EU for health and environmental reasons are not allowed back into the EU through imported products.”

The draft did not specify which pesticides were the most hazardous.

The EU move could block imports of Canadian crops treated with pesticides not used by European farmers.

U.S. president Donald Trump said the move would hurt Europe, and a White House official said the president would stand up for American farmers.

The EU sets maximum residue levels in food imports of some pesticides banned in the bloc.

Last year, it proposed to keep allowing residues of the fungicide cyproconazole and the insecticide spirodiclofen — which cannot be used by farmers in the EU — in imported products, despite European Parliament lawmakers demanding the thresholds were reduced to the lowest possible limit.

Tags: crops, Vision for Agriculture and Food, European Union, imports, Pesticides