YOUR 

COMMENTS

Introduction.

Main 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.

What the ACP Does...

Pesticides contribute importantly to our health and quality of life. For example, they enable crops to be produced more efficiently, they reduce the contamination of food by toxic fungi, and they are used to control insects that spread human diseases. But because they are designed to be biologically active, pesticides also have the potential to harm humans and other species that are not their intended target.

Moreover, by their action on a target organism, they may alter the broader "ecological" balance of nature in ways that are undesirable. It is therefore important to control the use of pesticides, carefully assessing the risks they may pose and ensuring that they are capable of delivering the benefits claimed for them.

In the UK our systems for regulating pesticides have evolved progressively since the 1940s. They involve various government agencies, departments and their Ministers, the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP), the Biocides Consultative Committee as well as Committees and agencies within the European Union.

Transparency

In controlling potential environmental hazards such as pesticides, it is important not only that the right balance is drawn between benefits and risks, but also that the rationale for decisions is made clear and accessible to the public. If the regulatory system is opaque and not open to scrutiny, it is liable to be distrusted, and such distrust can in itself impair people's health and well-being. Over recent years, steps have been taken to increase openness.

• Since 1984, the ACP has published an annual report;
• Evaluations of individual pesticides are available for purchase;
• Since 2000, the agenda and minutes of its meetings have been published

Online Overview

However, much of this material relates to specific pesticide products and may be difficult to follow without a more general understanding of the regulatory system. Moreover, many people who do not wish to go into the detailed management of individual products may nevertheless be interested in a short overview of the way in which pesticides are controlled and managed.

This online guide, based on existing guide (pdf), was produced by our Director Charlie Clutterbuck while on the ACP to help explain how pesticides are currently regulated in the UK; it shows how information is used to assess the risks that pesticides might pose, and the roles of the various organisations that participate in the regulatory process. The target readership includes politicians, journalists, consumer organisations, students and members of the general public who wish to know more about how the process operates.