We are urgently developing research requirements with other European laboratories to make sure we understand and the disease (Schmallenberg) better.Science should replace ‘vagaries of politics’
FUTURE agricultural policy in Brussels may be based on ‘scientific evidence’ rather than the ‘vagaries of politics’ after Europe’s boss expressed his desire to employ a chief scientific adviser last week.
The NFU backed a statement by European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso to explore the creation of a new science chief to highlight the importance of science and innovation in tackling areas such as climate change and food security.
Peter Kendall, NFU president, said: “It is essential that the legislation that emanates from the EU is firmly rooted in scientific evidence and not subject to the vagaries of politics.”
New EU regulation to slash the number of pesticides available to farmers and Brussels’ prohibitive stance on genetically modified crops were two areas where science had been over-ruled by politics, said the NFU president.
Doctor Ian Denholm, of the Rothamsted Research institute in Hertfordshire, raised his concerns about the new pesticide regulation at a food security debate in Barcelona last week.
He said there was a worrying increase in pest resistance in crops across Europe and that the situation would be made far worse by the loss of vital crop protection products under the non-scientific, hazard-based cut-off criteria in the new EU Pesticide Authorisation Regulation.
Dominic Dyer, chief executive of the Crop Protection Association, said the situation was a huge wake-up call for EU policy-makers.
“We welcome the pledge by newly re-elected EU Commission president Jose Manuel Borroso to appoint an EU chief scientist with a brief to co-ordinate and scrutinise scientific advice across the Commission.
“That commitment must now be turned into action through a fundamental review of the way Europe’s institutions access and use scientific advice,” said Mr Dyer.
