Introduction

Classes and uses of pesticides

Legal framework

Approval Levels

Scientific information in the regulatory process.

Risk Management Process

Constitution and function of the various organisations

Management of pesticides in the future.

Risk management for new pesticides....

Before a new pesticide can be approved for sale and use, evidence is required of its efficacy (i.e. that it has useful pesticidal properties) and that it will not pose an unacceptable risk to human health or to the environment. To this end, companies seeking provisional or full approval for a new product are required to submit an extensive package of scientific data. The components of the package vary to some extent according to the nature of the pesticide and the uses to which it will be put, but as far as possible they are standardised. Such standardisation helps to ensure that important aspects of risk assessment are not overlooked, and also that products are assessed consistently and equitably.

The main components of the data package that typically would be required for a new pesticide fall into the following seven areas.

Physico-chemical Properties

Potential toxicity in humans

Dietary Intake

Exposures to operators, other workers and bystanders

Environmental fate and behaviour

Ecotoxicology

Efficacy and risk to following crops