The EU Commission has presented a package to simplify regulations in viticulture. This is intended to facilitate the use of so-called basic substances in plant protection. For viticulture, this specifically means that sodium bicarbonate could again be used as a simple basic substance. The substance, which is primarily a component of baking powder, is used to combat the fungal disease "true powdery mildew." Under current EU law, this is not possible, as sodium bicarbonate is included in an approved plant protection product in Germany and therefore cannot be used simultaneously as a basic substance. Winemakers must therefore rely on an approved but more expensive plant protection product.

With the planned change, this situation would change. The aim is to enable practical and cost-effective solutions for plant protection in viticulture and to reduce existing double regulations. The Commission is thus following Germany's demand to align EU regulations more closely with the needs of agricultural practice.

In the future, already approved basic substances should also be allowed to be used as active ingredients in plant protection products after an additional approval. This would eliminate a legal restriction that currently prevents a substance from being used in both categories simultaneously.

Alois Rainer, German Federal Minister for Agriculture, Food and Home, expressed his positive view that "the Commission has followed our initiative and is paving the way for a practical use of simple basic substances in viticulture. Our winemakers are under massive pressure – they need support and not regulations that simply make no sense."

(ru – 123rf)

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