Environmental Risk Assessment - State of play and future proposals for the bees

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This document intends to analyze the existing guidelines for the "Environmental Risk Assessment" (ERA) of pesticides on bees. Such an ERA is a requirement for the authorisation of pesticides in the EU. This proposal has been done with the advisory of scientist, testers of pesticides on bees, consultants and professionals of the beekeeping sector, who have joined forces in order to develop a more coherent and protective approach for bees and other pollinators. The document contains the information about a mistake in the interpretation of scientific results that invalidates the existing proposals done by ICPBR (International Committee of Plant Bee Relationship) and EPPO (European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation).

It´s sections contain information about:

1. State of play and existing guidelines

2. Ways of exposure to pesticides coming from their systemic properties in the treated plants

3. Limitations of the existing guidelines to measure their impact on pollinators

4. Proposal of a new Environmental Risk Assessment

5. Annexes: EPPO Guidelines 3/10 and 170 and data provided by a DEFRA study, 2007, on which the current guidelines are based

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