EFSA Public consultation: effects of pesticides on amphibians and reptiles

The public consultation on the Draft Scientific Opinion of the EFSA Panel on Plant Protection Products and their Residues (PPR) on the state of the science on pesticide risk assessment for amphibians and reptiles is opened until 27 May 2017.

The PPR Panel therefore considers that initial suspicion is given for a thoughtful examination of actual risk-assessment schemes, in order to provide the fundamentals for an operational assessment of active substances and PPPs. The PPR panel recommended already in the scientific opinion on the update of the data requirements (EFSA 2007) that an appropriate risk assessment approach for amphibians should be developed. The aim is to ensure that those products are authorized that have no unacceptable effects on non-target species, biodiversity and the ecosystem as required by current legislation (Regulation (EU) 1107/2009).

The current opinion aims at providing the scientific basis for developing a future risk assessment scheme and covers the following topics:

– Ecology and biology of amphibians and sources of environmental exposure,

– Definition of spatial aspects to be considered in the risk assessment,

– Population dynamics and modelling approach to support the setting of Specific Protection Goals (SPG),

– Specific protection goal options for amphibians and reptiles,

– General framework for developing a risk assessment scheme,

– Uncertainties in the risk assessment for amphibians and reptiles,

– Toxicological endpoints and standard tests relevant for amphibians and reptiles,

– Exposure assessment in the environment,

– Coverage of amphibians and reptiles by existing risk assessment schemes for other groups of organisms.

For more information, see EFSA website.