EU member states have agreed on a new rule that will allow the EU to ban the import of products containing prohibited pesticides from third countries. The move removed a key obstacle to the regulation, which had previously sparked strong discontent among major trading partners. This position, which was agreed upon by the EU's 27 member states, was issued through a statement on Wednesday. As part of efforts to simplify food and feed safety legislation, this position slightly expands on the initial proposal put forward by the EU's executive body, the European Commission, in December last year. Any decision to ban a substance will first be an impact assessment. A study released by the European Commission in August this year found that such decisions could cause consumer food prices to rise. In response to an appeal from the industry, the EU Council's position also extended the pesticide license period to 15 years for the first approval, followed by 25 years. The EU Council's agreement brought the proposal a big step closer to formal implementation, but the proposal still needs to go through a separate approval process in the European Parliament. Thereafter, the two bodies will conduct negotiations to develop a final version of the rules.

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