The European Commission’s Food and Feed Safety Omnibus aims to give farmers greater choice of crop inputs, particularly innovative biological products, by cutting red tape and speeding up authorisations.
The proposals seek to simplify and accelerate approval and renewal procedures, replacing time-based renewals with a system where reviews are triggered by new scientific concerns. They also aim to strengthen mutual recognition, allowing authorisations in one Member State to apply more easily across the EU.
According to the Commission, the changes are procedural, focusing on approvals, renewals, reporting, and surveillance – not on lowering safety standards. But health and consumer organisations strongly disagree.
Health groups warn of deregulation
SAFE, a European food safety NGO, said the proposals risk undermining public health protections.
“Simplification cannot mean deregulation. This legislation is too generic and weak,” said Floriana Cimmarusti, secretary general of SAFE. “There is no clear indication on the scientific evidence that will be used for targeted re-assessments, leaving the door open to industry-led research.”
The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) called the changes “health-threatening,” warning they could delay phase-outs of harmful substances linked to cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders.
“Instead of strengthening protection, the EU Commission’s plan would amount to a free pass for most substances,” said Genon K. Jensen, HEAL’s executive director.
HEAL noted that regular reviews have enabled bans on pesticides like chlorpyrifos, which harms children’s brain development. It estimates societal health costs from pesticides already exceed €2.3 billion annually.
Consumer group foodwatch accused the Commission of prioritising competitiveness over public health:
“Citizens – and the protections built over decades of EU law-making – seem to be the forgotten victims of what looks like a predictable disaster,” said Natacha Cingotti.
Industry welcomes modernisation
Crop protection companies strongly back the proposals, arguing that outdated rules have slowed innovation and shrunk farmers’ toolbox.
CropLife Europe said no new conventional active substances have been approved in six years, while more than 80 substances – including biopesticides – have been withdrawn. It wants to modernise the current resource intensive regulation while keeping a high level of safety.
“Expecting more with fewer tools won’t work for farmers,” said Olivier de Matos, director general of CropLife Europe. “The Omnibus helps modernise EU rules so innovative science-based solutions reach fields faster while maintaining high safety standards”
The European Crop Care Association (ECCA) called the proposals a “significant step” toward fixing inefficiencies in Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009.
“Simplification is not deregulation; it is about making the system more responsive, risk-focused and operationally credible,” said Paolo Marchesini, ECCA general manager.
Citing chlorpyrifos is misleading, he added: “its non-renewal was based on a scientific assessment that it no longer met EU criteria. Nothing in the proposal would prevent similar decisions in the future.”
ECCA welcomed efforts to clarify data protection rules, which are critical for registering post-patent formulations, but warned that artificial extensions of data protection periods – sometimes up to 10 years – still block innovation.
Bayer: Efficiency gains, but trade risks
Bayer said the Omnibus offers a “timely opportunity” to modernise EU regulation and free resources to prioritise new science.
“Replacing resource intensive periodic full dossier renewals with indefinite authorizations for certain active substances – as already used in the pharmaceutical sector – would free regulatory capacity to prioritize assessment of innovative solutions and new scientific evidence, without lowering safety as built in safeguards would continue to trigger reviews whenever safety concerns arise,” the company said.
However, Bayer warned that proposed changes to maximum residue limit (MRL) rules could lower MRLs without scientific justification, creating trade barriers and disrupting supply chains.
“In times of rising geopolitical tensions, Europe must not be seen as jeopardising the rules that enable fair, predictable trading relationships,” Bayer added.
Certis Belchim: EU plans could halve biocontrol registration times
For Netherlands-based crop protection company Certis Belchim, the proposals changes could be transformative, potentially halving registration times for biocontrol products, which currently take 7-10 years in Europe compared to just three years in North America or Brazil.
“If we can at least reduce the timelines by half, that would be a fantastic achievement,” said Ronan Goff, head of sustainability and public affairs.
The company welcomed plans to introduce a clear EU-wide definition of biocontrol products, which should harmonise assessments and save time.
Biocontrol products currently account for 30% of Certis Belchim’s sales, with conventional products making up the remaining 70%. The company sees the EU proposals as a catalyst for accelerating biocontrol development.
What’s next?
Europe faces mounting pest, disease, and weed pressures driven by climate change, regulatory restrictions on older chemicals, and ambitious sustainability goals. Without innovation, yields could decline, threatening food security and farmer incomes.
The legislative proposal now moves to the European Parliament and Council for debate and adoption. The outcome will potentially shape how Europe balances innovation, competitiveness, and health protection in crop protection for years to come.
