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THE BICHEL COMMITTEE

1. Introduction and background

On 15 May 1997, the Folketing (the Danish Parliament) debated question No. F 59:

"Would the Minister please describe the Government's deliberations concerning a new pesticides action plan, in the light of the increasing pollution of the aquatic environment, including ground water and drinking water, by pesticides?"

which was put to the Minister of Environment and Energy by Bent Hindrup Andersen (the Red Green Alliance (Denmark)) and Keld Albrechtsen (the Red Green Alliance (Denmark)),

and then unanimously adopted Parliamentary resolution D 105:

"As great importance is attached to safeguarding the Danish aquatic environment, including ground water and drinking water, and as the Folketing confirms Agenda D 8, adopted 22 November 1994, on the inclusion of organic production as part of the strategy for pesticide-free ground water

the Folketing requests the Government to appoint a committee with independent expertise to assess, e.g., the overall consequences of phasing out the use of pesticides in the agricultural industry, and to clarify alternative means of controlling plant diseases, pests and weeds in agriculture.

The assessment must clarify the consequences for manufacturing, the economy, legislation, health, employment and the environment. The results of the committee's work will be included in the forthcoming task of drafting a new pesticides action plan.

Finally, the Folketing is aware that the Minister of Environment and Energy will present a report on chemicals in this session. The Folketing requests that this be included in the work of the committee.

The Folketing will now pass to the next matter on the agenda."

Against the background of the above, the Minister of Environment and Energy appointed a committee to undertake this task in the autumn of 1997.

In association with the Finance Act for 1998, the Government, the Socialist People's Party and the Red Green Alliance (Denmark) agreed to reinforce efforts for protecting the aquatic environment and for promoting restructuring for organic farming. At the request of the Minister of Environment and Energy, the Committee's task was therefore extended to include a project intended to assess the overall consequences of the total organic restructuring of agriculture.

At the same time, the Minister of Environment and Energy also changed the date of the Committee's final report, from the end of 1998, to 1 March 1999.

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