On 1 February, the UK Government
announced plans to establish a Pesticides Forum, which will bring
together key agricultural, food and consumer/environment groups. The
announcement follows a conference jointly hosted in October 1995 by
the Department of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture (see
PN30 p.22). Representation on the Forum will be by invitation and
restricted to about twenty to allow for effective participation. It
will provide a mechanism for exchanging views and ideas and for
developing co-operation and co-ordination.
A paper summarising the outcome of the October
conference has been produced which sets out ‘common themes’,
including measures to adopt pesticide minimisation. At the conference,
the Pesticides Trust [now PAN UK] called for policy to be refocussed on pest
control and pest management and the establishment of an IPM Advisory
Committee. The Pesticides Forum that is proposed may not be such a
radical step: much will depend on what remit the Forum is given. It is
suggested so far that it makes a preliminary report to the Advisory
Committee on Pesticides by mid 1996, which seems remarkably
optimistic—unless of course it is expected that pesticide
minimisation will mean minimal change.
MAFF press release 34/96. 1/2/96.
[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 31,March 1996, page 21]