Put EU Pesticide Proposals On Ice - Lyon

10.45.24am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 7th Aug 2008

Top Scottish campaigner George Lyon

Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the EU George Lyon has called on the European Parliament's Environment Committee to put their plans to ban a wide range of pesticides on ice.

Mr Lyon made the call for the plans to be delayed until a full-scale EU wide economic and environmental impact study is undertaken by the Parliament during a visit to Inverness.

Mr Lyon is meeting representatives of the industry today to discuss their concerns.

Commenting, Mr Lyon said:

"The Environment Committee's plans must be put on ice until they are in possession of all the facts.

"Before any decisions are taken, the European Parliament must undertake a full economic and environmental impact study across Europe. This study must evaluate the potential damage that their proposals are likely to have on EU food production.

"To push this ill thought out piece of legislation through without checking for any negative impact on food production would be an act of arrogant folly, especially when rapidly rising food bills are hitting consumers.

"I hope that common sense will prevail and the Committee puts off any final decision until such a study has been completed. I will be writing to the Committee urging them to do just that."