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In a vote on Tuesday in Brussels, experts from the Member States spoke out in favor of extending the authorization of copper in agriculture, from 31 January 2019 to the date of expiry, announced the European Commission.
The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) has recently highlighted the risks posed by the use in agriculture of copper-based compounds especially in soil pollution.
Copper, used as a fungicide in the form of "Bordeaux mixture", that is to say with lime, is allowed within certain limits in organic farming.
This substance is used especially in viticultureto fight against the ravages of a mushroom, mildew.
The extension decided on Tuesday lowers by about a third the threshold currently set for organic farmers. This limit will now also be applied to all farms.
The Commission considers that this extension
improves environmental protection by limiting application rates, while maintaining an important tool for crop protection
".
At the same time, she
Efsa to develop a more appropriate methodology for environmental risk badessment so that it is available for the next renewal of the authorization
".
A decision "in accordance with the requests of France"
In France, the Minister of Agriculture Didier Guillaume wanted the country to anticipate and prepare the "reduction" of the use of copper sulphate in agriculture, especially organic.
Welcoming the European decision, "
in accordance with the demands of France who fought for this decision
The minister said that several countries wanted the ban pure and simple of this substance.
"
The European Union has just adopted the decision to re-register copper for 7 years, limited to 4kg per hectare per year with the possibility of smoothing
"Said Didier Guillaume, who was speaking in Paris at the foundation of organic farming.
A roadmap will be developed in consultation with sector stakeholders to be presented to the 1st quarter 2019 Ecophyto Strategic Orientation and Monitoring Committee (COS).
According to an adviser to the Minister, this roadmap will include three major axes: the dissemination of good practices to reduce the use of copper in agriculture, the training of actors and research and development in the field.
These discussions should also make it possible to identify the possible financing necessary for the transition to other solutions.. Until now, the use of copper has been limited to 6kg per hectare per year.
The last challenge will be to work together the various actors in the sector to complete the transition, said an advisor to the Minister of Agriculture.
"
It is the sustainability of organic farming that is at stake
"Concluded the minister.
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