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Agriculture Industry

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 July 2021

Tuesday, 6 July 2021

Questions (598)

Holly Cairns

Question:

598. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council 28-29 June 2021 regarding biological control agents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36315/21]

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Written answers

At the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting held on 28th-29th June 2021, EU Ministers agreed on a Council Decision requesting the Commission to conduct a study on the Union's situation and options regarding the introduction, evaluation, production, marketing and use of invertebrate biological control agents and to submit a proposal, if appropriate in view of the outcomes of the study.

Biological control agents (BCA) are natural enemies such as insect, mite and nematode species, providing control of pest populations through predation or parasitism and are used to control plant pests.

Greater use of BCA’s as part of integrated pest management (IPM) and the development of new BCA’s may play a role in helping to achieve the challenging targets set out in the Farm to Fork Strategy to reduce the use and risk of chemical pesticides by 50%. However there is currently no harmonized EU regulatory approach to BCA’s.

I look forward to the outcome of the Commission’s study which should provide a lot of useful information for the development of a harmonised EU approach to the regulation of BCA’s that allow for safe and effective products to be placed on the market and used.

Ireland will work closely with other Member States and the Commission in this regard.

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