The reduction of agricultural pesticides in France is "far below the targets" in 2018, according to a report by the Court of Auditors released on Tuesday. And this, despite a considerable budget devoted to this file, estimates the institution.
“Despite these actions and the mobilization of public funds which can be estimated, for 2018, around 400 million euros (including 71 million levied on the fee for diffuse pollution), several evaluation studies have drawn up a reserved assessment of the action taken. The Court notes, for its part, that the effects of the Ecophyto plans remain far below the objectives set, "she said in this interim report which dates from November 2019.
More transparency on spending
The consumption of phytosanitary products in agriculture increased by 21% in France in 2018, according to an assessment in January of the Ecophyto 2 Plan. Since the Grenelle of the environment at the end of 2007, which had set a target of reducing 50% of the use of synthetic pesticides in 10 years, the two successive plans implemented, Ecophyto 1 and 2, have resulted in failure. In April, the government therefore tried for the third time to detoxify agriculture from the excesses of chemistry by launching an Ecophyto 2 + plan.
"Ten years later, the objectives set have not been reached", underlines the Court of Accounts, which considers that "several levers can favor the evolution of agricultural practices". It also calls for more transparency in terms of the expenditure of public funds and the consumption of these products in France.
The Court therefore recommends “publishing and making accessible to the public, each year, the data and analyzes reporting on the policy pursued, the active substances emitted and their effects on human health and the environment, in particular in the form of maps ”.
Edouard Philippe repeats his calendar
In his response to the Court's criticisms, dated February 3, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe indeed recognizes that the objectives have not been achieved but lists all the measures already taken by the government to remedy them, in particular in the Egalim law (issue of the Food States) of October 2018.
“From 2020, the calendar for making sales data available will be accelerated. The statistical departments of the ministries concerned will be mobilized to improve existing information systems and public databases, "he said, promising new provisional figures" during April "2020 on sales of phytosanitary products in 2019, from statements from distributors of these products.
In the negotiation of the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) with the other member countries, "France has an objective of less dependence on inputs (notably phytosanitary products), on the basis of quantified reduction objectives at European level, integrated into the regulation on phytosanitary products and in the future CAP ”, also answers the Prime Minister.
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