May 2026
On 13 May, the Biocontrol Coalition held a policy breakfast in the European Parliament on the biocontrol provisions of the Food and Feed Safety Simplification Package, hosted by MEP Benoît Cassart (Renew Europe), with the participation of Klaus Berend, Director for Food Safety, Sustainability and Innovation at DG SANTE. The event brought together representatives from the European Parliament, the European Commission, Member States, industry and farming organisations, reflecting the Coalition’s multistakeholder nature and the growing interest around biocontrol in the context of the ongoing Omnibus discussions.
The breakfast focused on the role of biocontrol in supporting farmers’ access to innovative tools while maintaining high standards of safety and environmental protection. Discussions highlighted the increasing political attention given to the need to accelerate access to biocontrol solutions in the EU, against the backdrop of concerns over lengthy approval timelines, regulatory bottlenecks and the progressive reduction of available plant protection tools for farmers.
In its introductory presentation, the Biocontrol Coalition stressed the need for a holistic, fit-for-purpose framework for biocontrol, in which measures across different legislative and policy initiatives collectively contribute to improving the conditions for innovation, market access, and uptake. In this context, the Coalition highlighted the importance of ongoing and upcoming initiatives — including Omnibus X, the Biotech Acts, Horizon Europe, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Bioeconomy Strategy — as complementary parts of a broader framework for biocontrol. The Coalition also underlined that Omnibus X represents a crucial step to consolidate progress by establishing a legal definition of biocontrol that would allow for tailored technical requirements, differentiated evaluation pathways and targeted incentives.
The Biocontrol Coalition drew attention to the importance of the proposed definition of biocontrol substances under the Omnibus package. The discussion addressed the proposed concepts of “functionally identical” and “structurally similar” substances, which aim to maintain openness to innovation while ensuring a clear boundary with conventional products.
In his presentation, Klaus Berend highlighted that the current framework under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 remains effective in protecting health and the environment, but that significant implementation challenges persist, particularly due to backlogs in approval and renewal procedures. He noted that the Commission’s proposal seeks to accelerate market access for biocontrol and other innovative solutions while maintaining rigorous risk assessment requirements. Among the measures discussed were the introduction of fast-track procedures for biocontrol substances, reinforced mutual recognition among Member States, the possibility for EFSA to act as rapporteur Member State, and provisional authorisations for certain biocontrol products while approval procedures are ongoing.
The discussion with MEPs and participants showed strong engagement across political groups, particularly EPP, Renew and The Greens/EFA. Several interventions highlighted the importance of enlarging the farmer toolbox and ensuring that innovation can effectively reach the market. Participants also discussed the role of mutual recognition procedures, the need to reduce administrative burdens for both companies and authorities, and the importance of maintaining a science-based risk assessment framework.
IBMA was represented during the discussion, and exchanges highlighted a strong degree of alignment between the Commission, the Coalition and IBMA on key priorities related to faster access to innovative biocontrol solutions and the need to address approval bottlenecks. Coalition members, including representatives from Copa-Cogeca, ASAJA, ELO and Syngenta, also actively contributed to the debate.
The Biocontrol Coalition would like to warmly thank MEP Benoît Cassart and his team, as well as all participants and Coalition members who contributed to the success of the event and to the quality of the discussion.