Fair and Green e. V. welcomes official withdrawal of the SUR

The Association for Sustainable Viticulture welcomes the withdrawal of the SUR as a ‘long overdue step.’

On Tuesday, 6 February, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, officially withdrew the European Commission’s proposal to reduce the use of plant protection products (SUR). The President justified the step with the negative attitude of the Parliament and the deadlock in the Council regarding the regulation as well as a general polarisation of the topic.

The association for sustainable viticulture, Fair and Green e. V., welcomes this decision to withdraw. Chief Executive Officer Dr. Keith Ulrich comments:

‘The withdrawal of the proposal was a long overdue step, as there was a lack of political support for good reasons. The proposed oversized, untargeted and ill-conceived reduction in plant protection products would have led to considerable yield losses, including in organic farming. This would not only have jeopardised the livelihoods of farming families, but would also have threatened the survival of unique biotopes in vineyards.’

The winegrowers are still willing to participate in the further development of concepts for more sustainable cultivation. However, a co-operative approach is required for environmentally compatible implementation that is accepted by society as a whole.
Dr Ulrich clarifies: ‘Sustainability is not only decided in plant protection, but also includes social and economic aspects. No pillar can exist without the other when considering sustainability. The Fair and Green members are an example of how sustainable crop protection can succeed. With the Toxic Load Indicator, the environmental impact of each authorised crop protection product is checked and the one with the lowest environmental impact is always recommended. With an approach like this and other innovations, the transition to a sustainable food system can succeed.’