Today, AEEP held its EP Lunch Seminar on the practical aspects of cadmium limits in the New Fertilizer Regulation. The seven was organized in the European Parliament and the speakers included:
- MEP Jarosław Wałęsa (EPP, PL), Rapporteur in the INTA Committee;
- Jo Gilbertson (Agricultural Industries Council, UK);
- Sandrine Pigat (Cream, Ireland);
- His Excellency Tahar Chérif (Ambassador of Tunisia);
- Jacques Greinveldinger (Roullier Group, France);
- Prof. José Maria Garcia-Mina Freire (Univeristy of Navarra, Spain);
- MEP Dariusz Rosati (EPP, PL).
Also in attendence were Jerzy Buzek (EPP, PL), Maria Grapini (S&D, RO), Andrzej Grzyb (EPP, PL), Maired MacGuinness (EP, IR), Franc Proust (EPP, FR), and Czesław Siekierski (EPP, PL), and a number of Member State attachés and experts from capitals.
The speakers highlighted the poor scientific setting of the proposed cadmium limits (S. Pigat), the devastating geopolitical and economic impact on developing countries such as Tunisia (Amb. T. Chérif), the negative consequences for the internal EC market (J. Gilbertson), negative international trade impact and the threat of deficiency of supply of phosphate rock (J. Greinveldinger) and the scientific problems with replacing mineral phosphate fertilizers with recycled and organic materials (J. Garcia-Mina Friere).