Marlena Maląg, a Law and Justice MEP, submitted a written question to the European Commission regarding a change in the Commission’s approach to the classification of SILTAC, a product used in agriculture to control plant pests.
In 2024, the European Commission changed its interpretation of the regulations, classifying SILTAC—which operates on a physical basis rather than a chemical or biological one—as a plant protection product subject to Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2009. Previously, this product was not considered a plant protection product, a fact confirmed, among other things, by the 2017 findings of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food, and Feed, which formed the basis for its legal presence on the EU market.
As MEP Marlena Maląg emphasizes, this reclassification could have serious consequences for manufacturers and farmers. Subjecting SILTAC to strict regulations governing plant protection products risks halting its sale and requiring it to undergo a costly, lengthy, and high-risk registration process. In practice, this could lead to the product’s withdrawal from the European Union market, despite its long-standing and safe use.
In her inquiry, the MEP poses three key questions to the European Commission. She asks about the specific legal basis in Regulation 1107/2009 that justifies classifying products with a physical mode of action as plant protection products. She also points to a possible contradiction between this decision and the stated priorities of EU policy, which aim to ensure that farmers have access to safe alternatives to conventional pesticides, particularly in the context of the “Vision for EU Agriculture and Food.” Furthermore, the MEP asks whether the Commission has conducted an assessment of the social and financial impacts of this change in interpretation, particularly with regard to its impact on small and medium-sized enterprises.
