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The German Winegrowers' Association (DWV) has issued a statement opposing the EU Commission's planned directive on the sustainable use of pesticides. This Sustainable Use Regulation (SUR) is intended to achieve a general reduction in the use of plant protection products by half by 2030 and, for pest control, also the increased use of non-chemical alternatives instead of chemical pesticides.
The proposed SUR regulation includes a complete ban on the use of plant protection products "in environmentally sensitive areas" such as nature reserves, water protection areas, bird sanctuaries, Natura 2000 protected areas and "any other national, regional or local protected areas notified by member states to the register of national protected areas (CDDA)". Public parks, gardens, paths, playgrounds, recreational or sports facilities would also be affected.
According to DWV, for many vineyards this would mean "de facto irreversible closure. Experience shows that vineyards, especially steep slopes, once abandoned, do not come back into cultivation. In the Moselle, wine production would decline by about 90 percent, in Baden and Württemberg by about a third of the vineyard area. The best-known single vineyards would be wiped out. State requirements based on unrealistic targets would lead to a ban on the profession," the statement says. The DWV also fears that due to the definitions, the restrictions could apply equally to conventional and organic viticulture. This would counteract the EU's goal of significantly increasing the share of organic farming.
As DWV President Klaus Schneider explained, the EU Commission's proposed regulation "undermines agreements and laws that have already been reached and successfully implemented jointly by agriculture and environmental protection, such as the Biodiversity Enhancement Act in Baden-Württemberg. This behaviour on the part of European politics is counterproductive."
(al / Source: dwv; Photo: 123rf)
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