Parliament wants swift action against invasive pests
Published: Tuesday, Jun 11th 2024, 11:30
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Parliament wants to step up the fight against invasive pests such as the Asian hornet and the cherry vinegar fly. After the Council of States, the National Council has also approved a corresponding motion in principle. However, it weakened the motion.
According to a resolution passed by the upper chamber on Tuesday, the Federal Council is to amend the Chemical Risk Reduction Ordinance so that pests such as the cherry vinegar fly and the Asian hornet can be better controlled. The original motion text by Councillor of States Peter Hegglin (center/ZG) went further. For example, he called for "effective treatment methods to be approved throughout Switzerland without delay".
This is not possible within the framework of the current legal provisions, stated committee spokesperson Monika Rüegger (SVP/OW). For this reason, the National Council Committee considers it more sensible to first make the necessary adjustments to the Chemical Risk Reduction Ordinance and, if necessary, to other ordinances.
The National Council accepted the proposal in a watered-down form. The Federal Council was open to it. The Council of States must now decide on this once again.
Increase pressure
Rüegger said that the National Council committee responsible had established that the Federal Council basically shared the motion's concerns and that work was underway to this end. The amended motion could increase the pressure to make progress.
The legal framework with regard to treatment methods must be adapted so that the cherry vinegar fly and the Asian hornet can be combated more effectively. "The Commission wonders why the Federal Council did not intervene earlier," said Rüegger.
There is still no effective treatment for cherry vinegar flies, which make cherries inedible, and the situation is catastrophic, motionary Hegglin claimed in the Council of States. The situation is similar with the Asian hornet, which builds its nests in the treetops. Insecticides against this species are only permitted in cultivated areas, but are prohibited in forests.
©Keystone/SDA
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