No majority in Parliament for legislation to curb use of pesticides

Parliament today has effectively rejected a Commission proposal on sustainable use of plant protection products.
Following a debate on Tuesday 21 November, 299 MEPs voted on Wednesday to reject the Commission’s proposal as amended by MEPs in plenary, with 207 supporting the proposal and 121 abstaining.

With this vote, Parliament has effectively rejected the Commission proposal and closed its first reading. The Council still has to decide on its own position on the proposal to determine whether it is definitively rejected or returns to Parliament for a second reading.

Background

As part of the European Green Deal, the Commission proposed on 22 June 2022 a regulation on the sustainable use of plant protection products as part of a package of measures aiming at reducing the environmental footprint of the EU’s food system.