By a single agency evaluation of plant protection products. AEPLA, ASAJA, UPA, Cooperative, FEPEX, IBMA

Spain is one of the countries with the greatest agricultural potential of the European Union and the leading exporter of fresh fruits and vegetables in the world, assuming the agriculture and agri-food around 9% of GDP in 2014. However, in spite of the economic importance that this entails, half our country is one of the slowest countries in the EU to register a plant protection product, the farmer needed tool to alleviate the many diseases and pests that affect crops. Spain is far from other Member States such as France, UK or Germany as regards the deadline to register a plant protection product, it may be up to six years.

The current system, based on more competent authorities, is characterized by its slowness and lack of coordination between the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Equality. All this hinders the implementation of unified assessment criteria and is an inconsistency with the general trend of the Administration to encourage the reduction of administrative burdens within it, as evidenced by the annual reports issued by the Commission for the Reform of Administration Public (CORA), created in 2012, and since then has worked to improve the state administration making it more effective and efficient.

Registry problems of plant protection products not only affect the pesticides manufacturing industry, it is a clear damage to Spanish farmers and competitiveness within the European Union and globally. Only issues of administrative organization and distribution of powers are the main cause of the problem. Farmers are late to the latest technologies for crop protection, plus a scenario that discourages investment firms to make available to the new farming solutions offered.

For all this, the undersigned, propose the creation of a Competent Authority for plant protection: Single Assessment Agency of pesticides.

The most effective are those that competent authorities act in a centralized manner, management processes, evaluation and decision all concentrated in an organism which can operate with a high degree of autonomy. The allocation of parts of the assessment to departments or institutes from various relevant ministries has an adverse effect on the efficiency of the process due to the application of different criteria between the parties.

This agency will bring many improvements to the current system, as a greater guarantee both the protection of the environment and human health, and productivity, innovation and competitiveness of agricultural resources, promoting sustainable agriculture.

We understand that an agency would seek greater efficiency and effectiveness in separating the executive tasks and Evaluation (Agency) of the legislative and administrative (ministries)
centralizing the first in a single entity instead of multiple ministerial departments and institutes involved.
The agency would provide greater speed in the current registration procedure, shortening the timetable now. It would also lower costs for administration with the possibility of organizing a financially sustainable system as being a public entity could see their funding completed the prices established for the assessments made, which can be self-financing in the future.

An agency would provide greater predictability ensuring unique evaluation criteria in all steps of the evaluation and approval. The agency would improve the coordination and less bureaucracy for the administration and the companies that register the products. It would also further harmonization with the other Member States of the European Union, characterized by their speed and efficiency, such as: France, United Kingdom and Austria.

In short, we support the single agency model of evaluation, to be in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy has set the European Commission, harmonization of procedures between Member States of the European Union, reduction of administrative burden, harmonization of criteria and systems between Member States, strengthening the internal market, promotion of efficiency, competitiveness, research and development, innovation.

If you look at our more advanced European neighbors in the matter, as may be the case in France, Austria and the UK, we see with the passage of time, what began as an agency / sole authority assessment of plant protection products, has I have expanded powers and has given way to an agency assessment of chemicals and improving the administrative organization. Perhaps in the future, Spain could also be directed progressively toward a similar model.

Opened letter to the Spains’s Government: For a single agency evaluation of plant protection products, signed by AEPLA, ASAJA, UPA, Cooperative, FEPEX, IBMA