Environmental activists cheer thanks to FDP dissenters

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Murmurs rippled through the room as the voting results appeared on the screens. With 100 votes in favour, 92 against and four abstentions, the National Council on Thursday rejected the plan of its economic committee. The Commission wanted to limit the right of environmental organizations to have a say in the approval of pesticides. According to those involved, they would no longer have a say in 90 percent of the approval applications. The Federal Bureau of Agriculture spoke of 70 percent.

On the other hand, not only the left green braced itself. A third of the FDP national councilors ignored the recommendation of their own group spokesman and also rejected the proposal. There were also several dissidents and abstentions in the middle group. Only the SVP voted unanimously for less involvement of environmental activists in the future.

Environmental organizations have had a say since 2018

Since a 2018 federal court ruling, environmental organizations such as WWF, Pro Natura, and Greenpeace have had the option to request access to records when applying for pesticide approval. They can also lodge an objection against admission decisions. Whether it concerns the authorization of a new pesticide, the assessment of a product that has already been authorized or an application for authorization to use an authorized pesticide differently than before.

With the parliamentary decision, the association’s right to appeal is now explicitly enshrined in law. This provides legal certainty, says Agriculture Minister Guy Parmelin (63, SVP).

Two attempts with the same result

The chairman of the Boerenbond, Markus Ritter (55, center), used exactly the same argument to fight for a restriction of the right to participate. According to him, it is sufficient if the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) represents the interests of the environment. If the environmental organizations were also given a say, this would unnecessarily delay the approval process.

The National Council had to make two voting attempts. After the first attempt, the FDP hoped that the no was a mistake. Liberal State Councilor Damien Cottier (47) requested that the vote be repeated. The many votes in a very short time had created a certain monotony and his group had made a mistake in voting, he explained. But the second time, a narrow majority voted for the status quo – and therefore against curtailment of the right to have a say.

Source:Blick