EU Pesticide Regulation Change Questioned

A sweeping proposed change in the European Commission's pesticide regulatory policy that would introduce hazard-based criteria in place of a risk-based approach has drawn an outcry from scientists and agricultural authorities alike pointing out that products could now be prohibited based on their inherent properties rather than by the risks they might pose in specific uses.

The European Parliament was scheduled to vote on effecting this fundamental change on May 19, but instead elected to “kick the can down the road” and put off any decisive action in recognition of the potentially massive results, the concern expressed, and the need for extensive additional information.

While the extent of the change remains undetermined, widespread concern is being expressed over potentially broad, unforseen impacts on agricultural production.  Even the no-nonsense UK Pesticides Safety Directorate concluded that these changes could result in the loss of up to 85  percent of the nearly 300 substances to be regulated “and make conventional commercial agriculture in the UK unachievable as it is currently practised.”  (IPMnet News, June 2008).