According to Foodwatch research, almost 30 percent of pesticide approvals in the EU have been extended in the past decade without a new risk assessment. 135 of the 455 agents approved in the EU are affected. This was the result of an evaluation of the EU pesticide database, as the consumer organization announced.
Some of the approvals have been extended beyond the original expiry date of the approval for many years – without the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) having carried out a new safety assessment.
“The EU pesticide approval system has so many flaws that reform is urgently needed,” said Foodwatch’s Lars Neumeister. Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir (Greens) must campaign for this in Brussels.
Specifically, the organization demands higher approval fees for pesticide manufacturers so that the EU authorities have sufficient financial resources for risk assessments. In addition, all pesticides whose approvals have been extended without a new EFSA review should be withdrawn from the market immediately.
An active substance that is to be used in a plant protection product in the EU must be approved by the European Commission. The permit is usually valid for ten years. Manufacturers can then apply for an extension, whereby data must be included. In cases of doubt, however, an approval can also be extended for a limited period until a new extension has been finally checked.
