THE BICHEL COMMITTEE

3. Mandate for the Committee's work

Main Committee

On 4 July 1997, the Minister of Environment and Energy sent the mandate to the Folketing's Miljø- og Planlægningsudvalg (committee on environment and planning). This mandate stipulated that a main committee be appointed, with expert members from research, the agricultural industries, the "green" organisations, the foodstuffs and agrochemical industries, the trade unions and relevant ministries. Its members were to cover the specialist areas of agriculture, economics, legislation, employment, health, the environment and ecology.

Four sub-committees

In addition, four sub-committees were appointed. Their task would be to facilitate the Main Committee's final reporting, by drafting specialist background reports in the following areas:

1. agriculture;

2. production, economics and employment;

3. health and the environment;

4. legislation.

Tasks of Main Committee

The Main Committee was assigned the task of co-ordinating and discussing the work of the sub-committees and of drafting the final report for the Minister. The Minister appointed four members of the Main Committee as chairmen of their respective sub-committees.

Points of reference for sub-committee work

As points of reference for their work, the sub-committees were to take the optimum production, from the standpoint of operating economy, and the production achieved by the agricultural industries to date. They were to assess the consequences for production, the economy, legislation, health and the environment and employment. The agricultural industries include: agriculture, market gardening, fruit growing and private forestry.

The sub-committees were to assess scenarios for the total and partial phasing-out of pesticides. They were to include the activities-in-progress of relevance to restructuring for organic farming.

Where relevant, the sub-committees were to take into account the Minister of Environment and Energy's report on chemicals ("Chemicals Report").

Sub-committee on agriculture

This sub-committee was to illuminate alternative, non-chemical, methods of controlling, e.g., plant diseases, pests and weeds. Against this background, the sub-committee was then to propose cultivation systems for agriculture under a partial or total phase-out of pesticide use. The feasibility of sustaining the production of cattle and pigs was also to be included. Experience drawn from organic farming to date was to be used to the greatest possible extent. The sub-committee was to identify any areas in which the phase-out would cause special problems and to propose solutions for those problems, e.g., through research and development (R&D). The proposed cultivation systems were then to form the point of departure for the work of the sub-committee on production, economics and employment and for that of the sub-committee on the environment and health.

 Sub-committee on production, economics and employment

Taking its point of departure in the above cultivation systems and the other conditions of production, this sub-committee was to assess:

1. the consequences of the various cultivation systems to agricultural production and profit, including the costs of restructuring agriculture;

2. the environment-related financial parameters, such as the costs of treating polluted soil and drinking water;

3. the financial consequences for derived industries, such as dairies, slaughterhouses, the chemicals industry, manufacturers of alternative products and methods;

4. the economic consequences for consumers.

This sub-committee was also to identify any areas where phase-out would cause special problems and to propose solutions for those problems, e.g., through R&D. During appraisal of the employment-related consequences, this sub-committee was also to include the effect on employment in agriculture and in the derived industries.

Sub-committee on the environment and health

Taking its point of departure in the above cultivation systems, this sub-committee was to assess the environment and health-related consequences of a total or partial phase-out of pesticides.

The assessment of environment-related consequences was to include the following: effects on the utility of ground water as a resource for the population and nature in general, effects on the utility of surface water as a resource for flora and fauna and the effects on terrestrial ecosystems, including agricultural ecosystems, as resources for flora and fauna.

During assessment of the health-related consequences, the sub-committee was to consider the effects of pesticide use and of the proposed cultivation systems on consumers.

Sub-committee on legislation

While assessing the legal consequences, this sub-committee was to consider the legal circumstances, including those within the EU, of phasing out the use of pesticides in different areas.

The addition of an organic scenario to the sub-committee's work did not necessitate any amendment of the Committee's mandate.