The important role of the agricultural sector was underlined by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen speaking at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. He highlighted the difficulties faced by the sector, underlining that farmers are the first to feel the effects of climate change, facing floods and droughts among others.

At the same time it was mentioned at the start of the strategic dialogue on the future of the agricultural sector. However, as Ursula von der Leyen noted, the European Commission had proposed SUR (Regulation on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides) “with the aim of reducing the risks of chemical plant protection products”.

But, he said, the SUR proposal has become a symbol of polarization and there is no longer any progress even in the Council. For this reason, he will propose the withdrawal of the proposal. “But of course the issue remains. And to move forward, they need more dialogue and a different approach. On this basis, the Commission could submit a new proposal that is much more mature”, said the President of the Commission.