European Food Safety Authority sued for lack of transparency over pesticides guidance

Two environmental groups have launched a lawsuit against the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for "not being transparent" in drafting guidance on new requirements for submitting scientific literature sources in application dossiers for agrochemicals. Environmental law organization ClientEarth and Pesticides Action Network Europe (PAN Europe) claim the guidance will favor the use of industry studies over evidence from independent scientists.

The guidance was issued earlier this year. The EFSA conducted a public consultation on the draft in 2010. It reflects requirements in the new EU agrochemical registration regulation (1107/2009), which will be implemented this year. Applicants will have to search for and provide any scientific peer-reviewed literature on the side-effects of active ingredients and relevant metabolites on health, the environment and non-target species. The guidance provides instructions on how to select such literature and report the results in the dossier.