New Brazilian agrichemicals bill

20.7.2018

Question for written answer E-004113-18
to the Commission
Rule 130
Miguel Viegas (GUE/NGL)

This month, a special committee of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies adopted a bill making the Brazilian Agrichemicals Act less restrictive. The bill revokes the 1989 act and changes the rules for the production, marketing and distribution of pesticides and herbicides. This bill raises some concerns for public health. Rather than increasing funding for food security agencies, the bill seeks to facilitate type-approval processes by purely administrative means.

The bill gives the country’s Ministry of Agriculture sole responsibility for authorising new products. It provides for the adoption of a risk level table for new substances in Brazil. This will enable products banned under the current act — because they contain carcinogenic, teratogenic or mutagenic substances — to start being used, on the basis of their degree of tolerance. New registration applications must be considered within a 24-month period and are immediately authorised once that period has elapsed. The current legislation provides for a five-year period.

There are currently 2 500 products awaiting type approval in Brazil, which is now one of the world’s largest users of pesticides. With that in mind, what is the Commission’s view on this situation, in light of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement negotiations currently underway?