Following the positive ENVI vote on 24 October, the negative vote on the SUR in the European Parliament on 22 November came as a surprise. The European Parliament SUR text contained both the definition of biocontrol and various fast track procedures for biocontrol. How did this happen? In the meantime, despite the European Parliament rejection, the […]

Happy World Soil Day! World Soil Day is held annually on 5 December to highlight the importance of healthy soils in our food systems. Let’s take this opportunity to look at the role biocontrol plays in preserving soils, which are home to 90% of the world’s fungi, 85% of plants and more than 50% of […]

A majority of the European Parliament rejected the Sustainable Use Regulation (SUR) on November 22, 2023. IBMA regrets the loss of an opportunity that had the potential to accelerate access to innovative nature-based solutions. (Brussels, 23 November 2023) Until now, the SUR was the only piece of EU legislation on the table that would have […]

Following the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) vote in favour of MEP Sarah Wiener’s report on the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products Regulation (SUR), we need to continue mobilizing support for the SUR. We have designed a template letter to help you build on momentum and ask Member […]

The Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting (ABIM) 2023 welcomed over 1800 participants from 58 countries highlighting the essential role biocontrol plays in providing better solutions for plant protection and securing the future of food and farming. Organised by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL and IBMA (International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association) in Basel, Switzerland, the 18th […]

(Brussels/Basel, 24 October 2023) The European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) voted in favour of MEP Sarah Wiener’s report on the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products Regulation (SUR) with 47 in favour, 37 against and 2 abstentions. This vote is crucial as it is a key step towards achieving […]

We are delighted to announce that Jeroen Meeussen joins IBMA as Regulatory Adviser. Jeroen Meeussen is a plant pathologist by training and has a long history in crop protection and regulatory affairs. Jeroen worked for more than 20 years at the Board for the authorisation of plant protection products and biocides (Ctgb) in the Netherlands. […]

We are delighted to welcome, Niamh Holland-Essoh to IBMA as our new Communications Manager. For the past decade, Niamh led the communications team at IFOAM – Organics International where she was responsible for raising awareness of the solutions sustainable agriculture can bring to global challenges such as biodiversity loss, soil degradation and rural development. To […]

(read the Spanish version) From IBMA Espana, we want to reflect on the recent informal meeting of European Union Agriculture Ministers that took place in Córdoba on September 4th and 5th. The crucial role of new technologies in agriculture was discussed at the meeting, especially with regard to adaptation to climate change and global food […]