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The SUR is gone. Biocontrol should be available to farmers now!

Noting the Sustainable Use Regulation (SUR) was a symbol of polarisation, Ursula von der Leyen proposed to withdraw it on 6 February 2024. The SUR is off the table. IBMA now urges the Commission to work on a new proposal. We already issued a statement on the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture.

(Brussels, 27 February 2024)The withdrawal of the SUR is a disappointment for biocontrol which has consistently received cross-party support and is urgently needed by farmers. IBMA therefore urges the Commission to immediately build on this support and ensure biocontrol solutions play a central role in their next work program.

Currently, the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture is ongoing with the next meeting scheduled for March. We call on the Strategic Dialogue to issue an initiative in this parliament to deliver a phase one proposal including alternatives such as biocontrol and drones to give farmers the opportunity to control pests and disease sustainably.

It’s time to put politics aside and put farmers first by ensuring they have access to biocontrol to remain competitive and productive when growing food sustainably for all. Farmers outside Europe already have access to biocontrol due to faster registration processes.

Jennifer Lewis, IBMA Executive Director

Farmers need biocontrol solutions in their toolbox without further delay. It’s time to work together to make this happen for the future of resilient and sustainable agriculture.

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