SCIENCE ADVICE FOR POLICY
BY EUROPEAN ACADEMIES

Improving authorisation processes for plant protection products in Europe

Existing European authorisation processes for plant protection products might be improved from a scientific perspective. Importantly, regulatory risk assessment must be fair, consistent, transparent, and communicated effectively so as to maintain public trust.

Producing enough food for the human population whilst also maintaining a clean and safe environment to ensure effective delivery of ecosystem services is a key challenge for humanity. The side effects of intensive agriculture, and particularly the use of plant protection products (PPPs), are often directly or indirectly harmful to human health and frequently affect common goods like clean water and air. Produce resulting from commercial agriculture is traded worldwide, exposing consumers to residues of pesticides that may have been applied half a world away. Recognising these cross-border threats to human and environmental health, the Member States of the European Union have relinquished national remits in the joint endeavour of creating a safer, cleaner, and healthier Europe: in the EU’s ‘dual system’ of pesticide authorisation, PPPs have to be authorised at EU level before Member States can authorise them at the national level.

To ensure that the legislation governing the EU’s PPP authorisation processes achieves its objectives and is efficient and effective, it is regularly evaluated and updated with the latest scientific findings and developments. SAPEA was asked to provide scientific input on how to make the EU’s current PPP authorisation processes more effective, efficient, and transparent.

The report examines the methods and procedures for assessing potential harmful effects on human health from the use of PPPs and suggests further improvement in:

Recommendations from the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors

Working group members

Associate Professor
University of Ioannina School of Medicine
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Professor Emeritus
University of Southampton
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Senior Advisor
Danish Environmental Protection Agency
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Professor
Imperial College London
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Professor Emeritus
University of Bristol
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Director
Silsoe Spray Applications Unit Ltd.
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Professor Emeritus
Lancaster Medical School
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Policy impact

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News

04 June 2018: SAPEA provides evidence for the European Commission on authorisation of Plant Protection Products
SAPEA (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies) has published its third Evidence Review Report titled Improving authorisation processes for plant protection products in Europe: a scientific perspective on the assessment of potential risks to human health. The report examines the methods and procedures for assessing potential harmful effects on human health from the use of Plant Protection Products (PPPs), and the ways in which the current authorisation processes could be improved from a scientific perspective.
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21 June 2017: New topic: Authorisation processes of plant protection products in Europe
SAPEA experts from across Europe are contributing their knowledge and expertise in this topic, in response a request from the College of European Commissioners, led by Commissioners Moedas and Andriukaitis. The SAM High Level Group has been asked to provide a scientific point of view by February 2018. The scoping paper for this topic is available to download from the Scientific Advice Mechanism website.
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Academic impact

Media coverage

20 February 2020: Euractiv
EFSA chief: Assessing fast-changing agrifood innovation is key challenge
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30 January 2020: Science Magazine
Overhaul environmental risk assessment for pesticides
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05 June 2018: Czelo
Report on EU authorisation processes of Plant Protection Products
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05 June 2018: Era Portal Austria
SAM publishes Opinion on EU authorisation process of plant protection products
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04 June 2018: FEAM
SAPEA provides evidence for the European Commission on authorisation of Plant Protection Products
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04 June 2018: Science Switzerland
Improving authorisation processes for plant protection products in Europe
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