DER AGRARHANDEL - Bundesverband Agrarhandel und Verein der Getreidehändler der Hamburger Börse e.V.
DAH
DER AGRARHANDEL represents the interests of the agricultural trading business in Germany.
ID: 72492469907-71
Lobbying Activity
Response to Updating the methods for sampling and analysis for pesticide residues and repealing Directive 2002/63/EC
16 Jul 2025
The association DER AGRARHANDEL e.V. expressly welcomes the draft regulation in its revised version Rev. 12 and the adjustments made compared to Rev. 8. Nevertheless, we would like to make a few comments on individual planned regulations, changes and formulations below. Regulations for feed: According to the current draft (Rev. 12), sampling for feed that is tested exclusively for pesticide residues should be carried out in accordance with the new requirements. However, as soon as additional parameters such as contaminants are tested in parallel, the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 152/2009 should apply. We find this differentiation incomprehensible, as it means that two different sampling methods can be used for testing for pesticide residues. In practice, this can lead to differing analysis results depending on the method chosen (especially for low concentrations). In the interests of legal certainty and comparability, we therefore advocate a uniform procedure in the feed sector. Since Regulation (EC) No 152/2009 already provides an established European framework for the sampling and analysis of feed, we believe that this should be the only one applied. Measurement uncertainty: We continue to view critically the possibility of applying a lower measurement uncertainty than usual in the event of the acute reference dose (ARfD) being exceeded. In our view, this regulation is too vaguely worded and carries the risk that risk assessments will lead to inconsistent results and regulatory consequences. If this special provision is retained, we consider it imperative to define the applicable confidence level of the measurement uncertainty in a binding manner. In principle, however, we recommend dispensing with this exception, as measurement uncertainty is an analytical parameter and should not be used as a controlling element in a health-related assessment.
Read full responseResponse to Evaluation of the EU legislation on plant variety rights
14 Mar 2025
DER AGRARHANDEL represents the interests of the agricultural trade in Germany. Its member companies supply the agricultural sector with seeds, pesticides, fertilizers and animal feed. They collect agricultural raw materials such as grain and oilseeds nationwide and market them as food and animal feed in Germany and abroad. International importers and exporters as well as brokers of agricultural products are also members. The agricultural trade in Germany sees itself as a partner to farmers and plant breeders. Accordingly, the agricultural trade is committed to both the farmer's privilege and the rightful claim of plant breeders to full payment of license fees for the protection of intellectual property. This issue of proper royalty payments for farm-saved seed is an issue between farmers as users of the seed and breeders as owners of the intellectual property in the varieties. If farm-saved seed royalties are not paid, the issue must be resolved between these two parties. However, as there are gaps in this legal relationship in Germany, the agricultural trade is currently being dragged into this discussion and is suffering from additional bureaucratic burdens. A ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court imposes an obligation on agricultural trade companies to take suitable and proportionate measures to ensure that only grain produced in accordance with plant variety rights are accepted. This is not the right approach, so the evaluation of Plant Variety Rights must find solutions that exclude this situation - and do so uniformly throughout Europe so that existing distortions of competition are corrected.
Read full response27 Feb 2025
From the perspective of private agricultural trade companies, the draft amendment to the Common Market Organisation interferes with the contractual autonomy of the respective parties in a very comprehensive manner. We would therefore have considered it essential for an impact assessment to be carried out in order to assess whether the objectives intended by the amendments can really be achieved. We are concerned at many points in the draft that the strengthening of producers will either take place on the backs of the contractual partners, e.g. the agricultural trade, and/or that the regulations supposedly introduced in favour of farmers will have the opposite effect and ultimately do farmers a disservice. One example of this is the planned revision clause after 6 months of the contract term. This will not lead to farmers being able to negotiate better price conditions for themselves, but rather to traders having to categorise contracts with farmers more riskily in future and this will be reflected in corresponding price reductions. Or more goods will be imported from EU third countries, as there is no risk of contracts being cancelled at short notice. We would also have strongly favoured prior stakeholder involvement. Obtaining selective expertise, which was apparently intended to replace broad involvement of the affected industry, is not sufficient to obtain a fully comprehensive range of opinions on the intended changes. It is not clear to us that all these tried and tested mechanisms have been dispensed with - on the grounds of urgency. In such a comprehensive topic, thoroughness should take precedence over speed. In principle, we are in favour of putting contractual agreements in writing and also advise our members to do so in order to avoid problems of proof and create clarity for all parties involved. To support this, the industry has already been working for many years on the Standard Terms and Conditions in the German Grain Trade, which provide balanced regulations for cases of conflict. However, these have been negotiated by the industry players themselves and formulated to suit their needs. On the other hand, we expressly reject the comprehensive specifications in the draft CMO as to which elements such a written agreement should contain and the far-reaching powers granted to the member states in this context. We see no reason for such a clear encroachment on contractual freedom. In addition, the system of the planned regulations will lead to many conflicts with the structure of German civil law. In particular, the one-sided consideration of the producer's production costs when setting prices thwarts the entire concept of a free market economy. It is precisely in the nature of a market economy that each player must determine its individual production costs and then conclude contracts that ideally also include a profit margin. Even agricultural traders cannot renegotiate an existing contract with the argument of increased transport or energy costs, for example. There are other instruments to hedge these risks, such as commodity futures exchanges. We reject the unilateral passing on of increased production costs to the retailer. Not to mention the fact that it is completely unclear how production costs should be calculated in this way. The trader cannot bear the risk if, for example, the farmer purchases inputs at an unfavourable time and these are then possibly more expensive than he had originally planned. Conclusion: The draft Common Market Organisation should be rejected in its current form and urgently requires a comprehensive revision!
Read full responseResponse to COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION on extending the scope of traceability of the Union database
24 Oct 2024
Wir warnen dringend davor, die UDB in der jetzigen Form übereilt und mit heißer Nadel gestrickt verpflichtend einführen zu wollen. Schon beim Thema entwaldungsfreie Lieferketten hat sich gezeigt, dass der Schaden sehr viel größer ist, wenn eine solches System mit großer Eile und ohne funktionierendes und zu Ende gedachtes Konzept gegen die Wirtschaft durchgesetzt werden soll. In Zeiten, in denen sich die Kommission den Bürokratieabbau ganz oben auf die Agenda geschrieben hat, ist die UDB in ihrer jetzigen Form ein völlig falsches Signal. Sie muss unter enger Einbeziehung der Stakeholder komplett neu aufgesetzt werden.
Read full responseResponse to Sustainable use of pesticides – revision of the EU rules
6 Aug 2020
Der Bundesverband Agrarhandel e. V. bedankt sich für die Möglichkeit zur anstehenden Evaluierung der EU-Vorschriften über die nachhaltige Verwendung von Pflanzenschutzmitteln Stellung zu nehmen. Unsere Stellungnahme finden Sie im Anhang.
Read full responseResponse to Listing regulated pests, plants, plant products and other objects
9 Sept 2019
Im aktuellen Entwurf der Pflanzengesundheitsverordnung 2016/2031, hier speziell im Anhang IV, begrüßen der Bundesverband Agrarhandel und der Bundesverband der VO-Firmen, dass das Mutterkorn (Claviceps purpurea) kein sogenannter RNQP mehr ist. Dies hätte unter anderem eine Pflanzenpasspflicht bedeutet aber auch, dass die europäische Kontrollverordnung 2017/625 im Saatgutbereich Gültigkeit erlangt hätte.
Beide Verbänden sind aber der Auffassung, dass Fachrecht im Fachrecht (hier speziell Saatgut) geregelt werden muss.
Read full responseResponse to Fitness Check on endocrine disruptors
10 Jul 2019
Wir bedanken uns für die Möglichkeit, an der öffentlichen Konsultation zu den Endokrinen Disruptoren teilzunehmen. Der Bundesverband der Agrargewerblichen Wirtschaft (BVA) vertritt die Interessen des privaten Landhandels in Deutschland.
Der BVA tritt dafür ein, dass Bewertungs- und Zulassungsfragen im Bereich des Pflanzenschutzes ausschließlich wissenschaftsbasiert erfolgen und die Bewertungsverfahren von unabhängigen Behörden vorgenommen werden. Politische und ideologische Einflußnahme darf hier keine Rolle spielen. Darüber hinaus stehen wir zum Verbraucher-, Anwender- und Umweltschutz. In der EU haben wir in diesem Bereich bereits höchste Standards und somit ein hohes Schutzniveau.
Für die Evaluierung der europäischen Regelungen zur Festlegung der Endokrinen Disruptoren erwarten wir, dass auch deren Auswirkungen auf die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und den internationalen Handel mit Agrarrohstoffen bewertet und auftretende Zielkonflikte aufgezeigt werden. Darüber hinaus muss die Evaluierung rein faktenbasiert vorgenommen werden. Neben den Belangen des Umwelt-, Anwender- und Verbraucherschutzes darf der Erhalt und die Stärkung der Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der europäischen Agrarwirtschaft nicht außer Acht gelassen werden.
Read full responseResponse to Establishing a list of priority pests
4 Jul 2019
Im Rahmen des Inkrafttretens der VO (EU) 2016/2031 werden nachfolgende Delegierte Rechtsakte erlassen; einer davon ist gemäß Artikel 6 der Verordnung das Erstellen einer Liste von prioritären Schaderregern. Für das Festlegen dieser Schaderreger müssen wissenschaftlich fundierte Erkenntnisse als Grundlage genommen werden. Fehlentscheidungen können für die Wirtschaft sehr schnell existenzbedrohend sein.
Die aktuelle Liste der prioritären Schaderreger unterstützt der Bundesverband des Agrarhandels umfänglich. Der Schutz der heimischen Produktion ist für uns zwingend notwendig.
Ebenso ist es zweckmäßig die Liste der prioritären Schaderreger in regelmäßigen Abständen auf neuen wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen basierend zu überprüfen.
Read full responseResponse to Revision of the Regulation on marketing and use of explosives precursors
13 Jul 2018
Bundesverband der Agrargewerblichen Wirtschaft e. V. (BVA) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the marketing and use of explosives precursors, amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 98/2013 on the marketing and use of explosives precursors.
German private agricultural traders support the objective of the EU Commission to strengthen and clarify the existing legal framework for the marketing and use of explosives. We also expressly welcome that every economic operator is informed when a product is subject to the restrictions of this Regulation. In addition, we are in favour of supporting economic operators in implementing the restrictions through awareness-raising activities.
In order to improve the practicability of the regulation, we would like to to submit the following comments (please see file attached).
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