Plant production products - methodology document for health and environmental risk assessments

Background

The aim of the update is to assimilate current regulations and practices, and to ensure the quality of future risk assessments carried out by the Panel on Plant Protection Products in VKM. The previous methodology document is from 2012, and the update is necessary to adapt the methods to new EU regulations for pesticides, and to incorporate new data requirements and guidelines for pesticides and biocides. By updating the methodology document, the expert group wanted to ensure that the risk assessments they deliver are in accord with the latest regulations and scientific knowledge.

Important changes

The document contains new regulations and guidance, for example on biocides, new types of pesticides, and simplified approval/risk assessment for microbial substances. The new document also includes guidance on hazard identification of substances with endocrine disrupting properties, alternative methods to reduce toxicological testing in animals, and assessment of non-dietary exposure to pesticides.

The document contains up-to-date information on the fate and behaviour of pesticides in the environment, including Norwegian soil and climate conditions, wastewater treatment plants and drinking water treatment processes. Guidance on risk assessment for bees and non-target arthropods, aquatic organisms, birds, mammals, and other terrestrial vertebrates, as well as earthworms and other soil non-target organisms, has also been updated. For several topics, specific protection goals and a tiered approach to assessing risks are or will be introduced.

Overall, the updated methodology document serves as a reference for VKM's risk assessment work on plant protection products and ensures that future assessments are carried out in accordance with current regulations and scientific knowledge.

Method

VKM has used a semi-systematic approach, by preparing a working document for collecting and compiling the necessary information on new data requirements from current regulations for pesticides and biocides in the EU.

The document has been approved by VKM's Panel on Plant Protection Products.