Vol. 519 No. 2
118 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if his attention has been drawn to the difficulty caused by the pesticide EU Directive 91414 on small suppliers of pesticide as opposed to the multinational companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13271/00]
EU Directive 91/414/EEC introduced a harmonized regime for the regulation of plant protection products. The regulatory system is designed to provide a very high level of protection for man, animals and the environment. Costs can arise for industry in proving that the use of the products concerned does not have a harmful effect on human health or cause an unacceptable impact on the environment. These costs can be relatively more severe for small and medium sized companies.
The pesticide control service of my Department, which is the designated authority under national regulations implementing this Directive in Ireland, provides advice on matters in relating to the authorisation of plant protection products.
