Across Europe, farmers are being asked to deliver on ambitious sustainability targets while their toolbox shrinks. For six years, no new conventional active substances have been approved. More than eighty crop protection tools, including biopesticides, have disappeared from the market. When innovation outpaces regulation, farmers lose time and Europe loses competitiveness.
This is not just a technical issue. It is a strategic challenge for food security and climate resilience. Every delay means missed investment and lost opportunities to deploy solutions that could reduce risk and improve sustainability.
Green tape unlocks progress
The European Commission’s Food and Feed Safety Omnibus offers a rare opportunity to change course. It can replace unnecessary red tape with green tape through modern, science-based processes that keep safety strong while accelerating access to proven innovations.
When innovation outpaces regulation, farmers lose time and Europe loses competitiveness
Green tape means smarter approvals, predictable timelines and guidance that reflects real-world farming practices. It means rules that work for precision agriculture and digital tools, not frameworks designed for a different era. By making regulation proportionate and predictable, Europe can attract investment and ensure farmers have the solutions they need when they need them.
A full toolbox for sustainable farming
We need to remember that sustainability is not about choosing one method over another. It is about integration: conventional crop protection alongside biopesticides, improved seeds alongside data and drones. Farmers need a full toolbox to manage pests, protect yields, and meet environmental goals. Without timely access to innovation, those goals become harder to reach, and Europe risks falling behind global competitors.
And before anyone suggests that modernising regulation means lowering standards, let me be clear: it’s about making them smarter and more fit for purpose. Developing crop protection tools takes time, and pests and diseases don’t wait. In essence, science-driven simplification strengthens safety while enabling progress.
The Food and Feed Safety Omnibus is an early test of whether the EU can deliver that in practice; maintaining a high level of protection while giving farmers timely access to the tools they need
Europe’s choice
If Europe wants sustainable agriculture and food security, it must act now to make regulation work with innovation, not lag behind it. Innovation and safety can go hand in hand. The Food and Feed Safety Omnibus is an early test of whether the EU can deliver that in practice; maintaining a high level of protection while giving farmers timely access to the tools they need.
The European Parliament and Member States now have a chance to turn green tape from a slogan into reality. The question is whether they will seize this moment to deliver tangible results for farmers, consumers and the environment.
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