In a written answer to MEP Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (Renew), Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi defended the Food and Feed Safety Omnibus, arguing that the proposal maintains high protection standards while increasing procedural efficiency. The Commissioner rejected the suggestion that projected business savings of €335.6 million annually would be outweighed by rising health costs, stating that the omnibus does not alter strict approval criteria for active substances in plant protection products.
The answer, published on 23 April 2026, responds to Gerbrandy's priority question of 18 February 2026. The MEP had cited European Environment Agency data showing a 46% reduction in chemical pesticide risk between 2015 and 2022, warning that deregulation would reverse this progress and lead to significant societal costs from illness and loss of life.
No change to approval criteria Várhelyi emphasised that the omnibus only replaces periodic renewal procedures for most active substances with targeted reassessments when needed, rather than changing the strict approval criteria under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009. He noted that current renewal procedures are often delayed due to resource constraints, leading to prolonged extensions of existing approvals. The new system would allow earlier reviews when new scientific guidance becomes available.
PFAS pesticides unaffected On PFAS-containing pesticides, the Commissioner stated that the omnibus does not affect ongoing procedures to review 25 of 30 currently approved PFAS active substances, with another review starting soon. He dismissed any tension between deregulation and the Commission's own report estimating PFAS pollution costs at €440 billion, arguing that the study's societal costs cannot be directly compared to economic impacts in each sector.
Policy orientation and follow-up The answer signals a clear policy direction: prioritising business cost savings and regulatory simplification over precautionary health cost concerns. The Commission considers the omnibus to maintain and even improve the current high level of protection. No specific timeline for adoption was given, but the proposal is part of the broader Food and Feed Simplification Package, which will now proceed through the legislative process.
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