The EU emphasizes the role of integrated pest management as an important approach to reduce dependency on pesticides use. Before pesticides are used, biological control measures, together with physical and other non-chemical methods, should have first preference (Directive 2009/128/EC).

The EU is stimulating the development of biological control products by financing the BIOCOMES project.

In BIOCOMES project eleven new biological control products are being developed to control a number of important pests and diseases in agriculture, horticulture and forestry. Thirteen industrial and fourteen research partners divided over fourteen countries are working together as a consortium to realise the project targets.

IRTA is one of the partners of the consortium.

The BIOCOMES project runs from 1 December 2013 until 30 November 2017.

More information on www.biocomes.eu.