EU Pushes for Faster Biopesticide Approvals as Food and Feed Safety Rules Get a Reset

22 December 2025, Brussels: With a clear push to unlock innovation in crop protection while safeguarding public health, the European Commission has proposed a comprehensive package to simplify food and feed safety regulations across the European Union, placing particular emphasis on accelerating market access for biopesticides.

The proposed reforms span plant protection products, biocidal products, animal health and welfare, feed additives, official controls and border procedures. At their core, the changes are designed to reduce regulatory bottlenecks that have long slowed the entry of new biological and low-impact solutions, while maintaining the EU’s strict standards for food safety, environmental protection and consumer health.

According to the Commission, the package could generate more than €1 billion in annual savings by cutting administrative and compliance costs. EU businesses alone stand to save over €428 million each year, including €227 million for small and medium-sized enterprises, while national and EU administrations could benefit from €661 million in annual savings. These measures significantly contribute to the EU’s wider objective of achieving €37.5 billion in administrative savings during the current mandate.

For farmers, the reforms are expected to translate into quicker access to a broader and more effective crop protection toolbox. Faster and more targeted approval pathways for biopesticides are intended to support the adoption of environmentally friendly plant protection products, helping growers respond to rising pest pressures, resistance challenges and tightening sustainability expectations.

The proposal also streamlines renewal procedures for pesticides and biocides, making them more efficient and science-based. Alongside this, the Commission is looking to ease regulatory obligations for feed additives through simplified renewals and digital labelling, while facilitating market entry for fermentation-based products increasingly used in both agriculture and feed applications.

In line with the EU’s Vision for Agriculture, the package addresses concerns around competitiveness by signalling a move toward aligning production standards for imports, particularly on pesticide residues, subject to the outcomes of an ongoing impact assessment. The aim is to ensure EU farmers are not disadvantaged by stricter domestic rules compared to imported products.

Additional measures include simplified accreditation for official laboratories, a more pragmatic approach to border controls for plant products, and updated bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) surveillance requirements based on current scientific evidence.

The Commission notes that the proposals respond to sustained calls from Member States and stakeholders for clearer, faster and more predictable regulatory procedures. The legislative package will now be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union for consideration and adoption.

This food and feed safety package marks the Commission’s 10th omnibus proposal since the start of its mandate, reinforcing its commitment to cut unnecessary regulatory burden by at least 25% overall and 35% for SMEs, while continuing to uphold the EU’s high standards for safety, health and environmental protection.

“Today’s Food and Feed Safety Omnibus shows once again that we can strengthen our competitiveness through smarter, simpler regulation, while maintaining standards. Our proposals remove overlaps in requirements and reporting, address legal uncertainties and eliminate procedures that had little added value. In doing so, we respond to clear calls from Member States and stakeholders, deliver hundreds of millions of euros in administrative savings for businesses and public authorities, and give farmers faster access to innovative and more sustainable products” said, Valdis Dombrovskis, Commissioner for Economy and Productivity; Implementation and Simplification.

“This simplification package is creating a more efficient and effective agri-food system, maintaining our very high food safety standards. At the heart of this Package is our commitment to supporting EU farmers. Farmers will have more and better tools, such as precision farming and biopesticide, at their disposal to protect their crops and produces effectively. Where duly justified, food imports treated with the most hazardous pesticides banned in the EU will also not be allowed into our markets implementing our high safety standards and a level playing field for consumers and farmers alike”, said Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare.

“Farmers are entrepreneurs and need a supportive legislative framework to invest, innovate, farm in a nature-friendly way and remain competitive. With today’s package, the Commission delivers on key commitments from the Vision on Agriculture and Food to farmers. We strengthen the tools available to combat plant diseases by promoting biocontrol solutions. We are supporting our farmers by giving them more time to identify viable alternatives when active substances are no longer available on the market. In parallel, we aim to accelerate the transition towards safer and more sustainable alternatives”, said Christophe Hansen, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food.

Snapshot | Key Changes at a Glance

• Faster market access pathways for biopesticides and low-risk crop protection products
• Streamlined and more targeted renewal process for pesticides and biocides
• Simplification of feed additive authorisations with digital labelling provisions
• Easier market entry for fermentation-based products used in food and feed
• Reduced administrative burden for farmers, SMEs and agri-input companies
• More pragmatic, risk-based border controls for plant products
• Simplified accreditation rules for official testing laboratories
• Science-based updates to BSE surveillance and risk mitigation requirements
• Move toward aligning import standards on pesticide residues to ensure fair competition
• Over €1 billion in annual savings expected across businesses and public administrations

Also Read: BASF | Nunhems Launches Percyst Carrot Variety with Nematode Resistance for the U.S. Market

Global Agriculture is an independent international media platform covering agri-business, policy, technology, and sustainability. For editorial collaborations, thought leadership, and strategic communications, write to pr@global-agriculture.com