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PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS

: : About the issue

The authoritsation of pesticides (plant protection products) in the EU is regulated by Directive 91/414/EEC, which foresees that each ingredient and the final product itself must be submitted to a large range of tests to evaluate their safety for humans and the environment. Each ingredient tested requires the use of as many as 6500 animals. All tests are obligatory and a tick-box approach is followed. This means a set number of tests must be done, whatever their relevance to the ingredient concerned and the knowledge already available.

: : What is the current situation?

The European Commission is revising its legislation. The Commission proposal was published on 12 July 2006 and is at present in the first reading of the codecision procedure (which gives the European Parliament and the Council equal decision power).

: : What is Eurogroup calling for?

Eurogroup is working with Members of the European Parliament and with Member States to ensure that in the new legislation animal testing is limited where possible and replaced with non-animal alternatives.

Eurogroup is calling for:

	compulsory sharing of data of animal test data to avoid duplication of animal testing
	the inclusion of non-animal test methods and intelligent testing strategies among data required before a product can be put on the market
	the inclusion of intelligent testing strategies (a flexible approach in which the data collected are evaluated after each step, and decisions on remaining information needs are made based on the results of previous steps)
	limiting the suffering of animals submitted to tests

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

European Union

Directive 91/414 (Jul. 91)

Commission Revision Proposal (Jul. 06)

EFSA Opinion on toxicological data requirements (Jan. 07)

Eurogroup documents

Eurogroup briefing (Feb. 07)