July 2025
On 3 July, 2025 the co-rapporteurs presented their draft own-initiative report “Ensuring faster registration and uptake of biological control agents” to the European Parliament’s agriculture and environment committees.
The report calls for:
The draft report was welcomed by all political groups, although some signalled their intent to submit amendments to further improve the report before it is finalised this autumn. Indeed, the report proposes important and necessary first steps to make more biocontrol products available to EU farmers in a timely manner, but alone they are not sufficient to ensure that EU farmers have access to a comprehensive toolbox including a wide range of biocontrol products
While the report recognises that biocontrol products “do not have the same risk profile as traditional plant protection products,” it limits its recommendations to changes within the existing framework. It does not propose a dedicated legislative framework tailored to the specific characteristics and needs of biocontrol.
Kristen Sukalac, secretary general of the Biocontrol Coalition said: “The INI report takes an important step by endorsing targeted amendments to the plant protection regulation, but it doesn’t go far enough. Without calling for a gap analysis to prepare dedicated legislation, it risks missing the deeper structural barriers that still prevent timely access to biocontrols. EU farmers need a system that brings biobased solutions to market in under three years—this report should push harder to be forward-looking and make that a reality.”
That’s why the Biocontrol Coalition welcomes the announcement by RENEW’s shadow rapporteur Benoît Cassart that his group intends to an amendment calling for a dedicated, fit-for-purpose regulatory framework for biocontrol products.