European Union Withdraws Pesticides  
UPdate Fall 2002

Hundreds of pesticide products will be withdrawn from the European market in 2003 as part of the European Commission's new approach to the evaluation of active substances in plant protection products. These include insecticides, fungicides and herbicides.  

The new approach requires manufacturers to prove that their products reach required safety standards.  Up to 320 products are expected to be withdrawn in July 2003, and another 150 may also be withdrawn in a similar time frame. This would represent a decrease of 60% of all substances which were on the market in 1993.  

The substances which would be withdrawn are those which manufacturers decline
to defend on the basis of the new standards. The European Commission will then have to evaluate the remaining substances before the end of 2008.

The European Commission is also launching a debate on how to reduce the
impact of pesticides on the environment and human health.