EU member states have agreed to give biocontrol substances priority assessment and fast-track approval process. The measures form part of the Council’s negotiating position on the remaining Omnibus X food and feed safety package to simplify administrative procedures.
Based on Commission proposals published on 16 December 2025, the mandate spans plant protection, biocides, feed, official controls, and animal health and welfare. Low-risk active substances and plant protection products containing them would receive approvals and authorisations without time limits. For other substances, first approvals would generally last 15 years and subsequent approvals 25 years, with exceptions.
Protection for test and study reports would increase from 10 to 13 years for regular products, and from 13 to 15 for low-risk products. A new EU database would hold the reports.
Residue restrictions would also widen. After an impact assessment, existing maximum residue levels for particularly hazardous substances would fall to technical zero, including substances posing unacceptable risks to honeybees or groundwater. Imports containing those residues would be prohibited, with transitional provisions for compliant products to avoid food waste.
Irish agriculture minister Martin Heydon said the agreement is an important step towards easing the administrative burden for farmers. The presidency intends to begin talks once Parliament adopts its position. Its goal is a provisional agreement on the overall package by the end of 2026, bringing approval changes and safeguards into the same negotiation.
