EN
C 465/32
Official Journal of the European Union
6.12.2022
Tuesday 3 May 2022
66.
Reminds the Commission and the Member States of Parliament’s resolution of 15 February 2017 on low-risk pesticides of biological origin (9) and stresses the need to support the development of safe, effective and affordable alternative plant protection products, and to encourage their wider use, in particular by easing both the authorisation procedure for basic substances and the extension of their use, as an important component in the development of organic production; highlights the need to create the conditions for equal access to organic plant protection products and fertilisers in the Member States; stresses that pesticide residues, which are present in the environment, may potentially affect organic products as well; 67.
Points out that organic farmers, who guarantee high environmental standards in production, must not be held responsible for risks outside of their control and calls on the Commission to further promote harmonisation in the handling of pesticide residue findings; 68.
Highlights the importance of sufficiently available, high-quality organic seeds, heterogeneous material and high-yielding plant varieties, native varieties and locally adapted varieties; points out their potential in strengthening resilience against plant diseases and the impact of climate change; encourages the Commission and the Member States to step up efforts, including through specific actions, to improve the functioning of the organic seed market and believes that transitional periods would be helpful in achieving this; calls on the Commission to ensure that sufficient financial resources are allocated to research into organic seeds and animal breeding; 69.
Highlights the importance of supporting programmes for the preservation and selection of local breeds which, given their robustness, are particularly suited to organic farming; stresses the need to support traditional crop breeding for the development of healthy and resilient varieties and also the need for modern, sustainable and innovative methods when developing new organic seeds and agricultural practices, maintaining a high level of protection of human health and the environment; 70.
Highlights, in this context, the role that scientific innovations in plant breeding can play, in particular in improving the resistance of varieties, in fostering the diversity of genetic resources and in strengthening food production systems, while recalling that the use of genetically modified (GMO) seeds is not permitted in organic agriculture; 71.
Supports the Commission’s intention to extend the EU Market Observatories’ analysis to organic products; stresses the importance of intensifying the collection and improving the availability of accurate and timely data, including at regional level, on the organic sector so as to better appreciate its environmental, economic and social effects; 72.
Believes that this should include data on the sector’s contribution to environmental sustainability, together with data on production, processing, consumption, including in the hospitality sector and in public canteens, on trade within the EU and with non-EU countries and on farm gate and retail prices, consumer preferences, supply chain structures, added value and farmers’ share in supply chains; is convinced that this data is essential in order to shape and monitor EU policy on organic production and take action to remedy supply and demand imbalances, evaluate consumption and production trends and increase transparency and confidence in the sector; 73.
Recognises the potential of a common European agriculture data space to increase consumer knowledge and trust, as well as to improve traceability in the organic supply chain; emphasises that in order to stimulate demand, it is essential to identify consumer needs through relevant assessments; calls on the Member States to better communicate on the organic sector’s economic results; calls on the Commission to conduct comprehensive studies and analyses of the impact that an increase in organic farming would have in terms of both climate change and food security in the European Union; o o
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74.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.
(9)
OJ C 252, 18.7.2018, p. 184.