The compromise on new rules on pesticides, tabled by Cyprus, failed to gain the endorsement of the EU ambassadors on Friday.

The package, unveiled by the Commission in December, includes measures to speed up the uptake of biological pesticides by farmers, and grant synthetic pesticides substances with unlimited approvals. It also includes a crackdown on residues of EU-banned chemicals in imported food.

After weeks of technical negotiations, Cyprus, which is holding the rotating presidency of the Council, believed it had reached a balanced final compromise draft. Still, it failed to reach the majority needed to start negotiations with the Parliament.

The proposal to restrict imports containing traces of certain pesticides prohibited in the EU, to protect European farmers from unfair competition from third countries, has been among the most controversial points since the beginning of the negotiations.

The provision sparked criticism from the EU’s trading partners, as well as from member states, such as Denmark and Germany, over its potential impact on trade.

By contrast, countries such as France and Poland, which are waging battle against the EU-Mercosur deal over alleged lower standards in imports from the Mercosur states, pushed in favour of the provision. Both governments also took steps to propose a national ban on certain pesticide residues in imports, to pressure Brussels.

The compromise text tried to reconcile both sides by introducing a requirement to carry out case-by-case impact assessments of the ban on residues for each substance, with a focus on trade implications. While it managed to convince some states that were initially opposed, like Finland, this was not enough.

Another hurdle is substance approvals. The Commission suggested granting unlimited approvals for pesticide substances to speed up their authorisations, sparking food safety concerns. Cyprus instead proposed extending approval periods from 10 to 15 years and from 15 to 25 years, and limiting unlimited approvals only to low-risk substances and products containing such substances.

But it failed to convince Denmark, for example, a Danish diplomat said. The country also opposed the text’s support for the Commission’s proposal to double the grace period for banned substances.

Farmers’ organisations also opposed the text. “The latest Presidency compromise text remains insufficient to deliver the level of regulatory improvement needed by the European farmers,” EU farm union Copa-Cogeca said after the ambassadors’ meeting.

The file will now return to technical-level negotiations in the Antici group, and it will most likely fall to Ireland, as the incoming Council Presidency, to find a compromise.

(adm, at)