European farmers need quicker access to a broad, innovative toolbox: The Omnibus proposal is a positive step towards simplifying Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 and accelerating access to innovation, while maintaining the EU’s high safety standards. The focus should now be on implementation choices that speed up procedures without creating new bottlenecks.
Simplification must support a balanced approach across the full toolbox: Biocontrol and conventional solutions are complementary and both are needed to enable farmers to diversify their options, support competitiveness, and deliver Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in practice.
The proposal introduces a new definition of biocontrol: CropLife Europe considers a future-proof, flexible definition a key prerequisite for legal clarity and for accelerating approval procedures for biocontrol solutions.