According to the Euractiv website, which has obtained a draft European regulation on food safety, Brussels is considering a major reform of the framework for authorizing pesticides. Active substances could be authorized for an unlimited period (compared with a current authorization period of 10 to 15 years on average), except for the most dangerous products or those classified as "candidates for substitution." The use of an active substance needed to combat a serious hazard when there is no reasonable alternative constitutes another exception.
This new approach is in line with the Commission's regulatory simplification strategy, which defends the principle of no ban without an alternative.
The text would also apply the principle of reciprocity of standards, since pesticides banned in the EU would no longer be able to return via imported products. The Commission is proposing to abolish "import tolerances" for these substances and to apply the same limits on residues.
Another key aspect concerns biopesticides. To speed up access to biopesticides, the draft would provide for provisional authorizations that would subsequently be converted into definitive authorizations. The Commission would also like to see a reduction in the administrative burden, with automatic mutual recognition for delayed decisions on low-risk or biocontrol products.
