Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, in a written answer on 3 July 2026, defended the Food and Feed Safety Simplification Package against criticism that it would weaken health and environmental protections, arguing that the proposal contains safeguards to maintain high safety standards while reducing administrative burdens. The answer responds to a parliamentary question from MEPs Tilly Metz, Anna Strolenberg, Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, Biljana Borzan, and Anja Hazekamp, who cited a scientific assessment commissioned by the Dutch Parliament that concluded the proposal could harm human and environmental health, create an uneven playing field, and fail to reduce administrative workload.
Várhelyi confirmed that unlimited approvals would not apply to substances that are candidates for substitution, those approved under derogation due to lack of alternatives, or those requiring re-evaluation based on risk assessment. The proposal, introduced on 16 December 2025, includes periodic re-evaluation of active substances, existing review mechanisms, and time-limited authorisations for plant protection products. The Commissioner argued that streamlining procedures and harmonising rules would allow Member States to redirect resources from renewals to assessing innovative substances, addressing systematic delays. He noted that the proposal does not alter core policy objectives or introduce significant new obligations, and therefore was not accompanied by a full impact assessment but by a staff working document analysing expected cost savings.
The answer provides no commitment to amend the proposal to explicitly limit unlimited approvals to low-risk substances as defined in existing regulations, nor does it announce a new impact assessment. The Commission maintains that the current text already contains sufficient safeguards. The exchange highlights a cleavage between simplification and deregulation on one side and precautionary health and environmental protection on the other, with MEPs and the Dutch-commissioned study pressing for stronger safeguards, while the Commission prioritises reducing administrative burdens and speeding up approvals for low-risk substances.
EU producers of plant protection products could benefit from faster approvals and reduced renewal costs, potentially boosting innovation. National regulatory authorities may face reduced workload from renewals but could see increased complexity in implementing the new re-evaluation system. Environmental and health NGOs, along with consumer groups, may see the lack of a full impact assessment and the omission of explicit low-risk criteria as a risk to safety standards. The European Parliament and Member States will now consider the proposal, with potential amendments to address the concerns raised.