The long-term challenges of sustainable agriculture in the European Union (EU) should be met jointly by the European Commission and 28 member states to ensure support for technological innovation, a regulatory framework that is risk-based, underpinned by scientific evidence, continuity of basic and applied research and the development of agri-related skills.

This is the view of Ms. Anthea McIntyre, a Member of the European Parliament and the Rapporteur (reporter) of the Parliament’s Agriculture & Rural Development Committee’s report on technological solutions to sustainable agriculture in the EU.

Writing in The Parliament Magazine Ms. McIntyre said that all too often, EU legislation placed restrictions on products and technologies without adequate evidence of risk. EU legislation must be evidence-based in order to encourage innovation.