Evaluation and authorisation of plant protection products within the European Union

Plant protection products have to be evaluated and authorised in the EU-Member States since 1993 in accordance with Council Directive 91/414/EEC. This Directive formed the framework for a European-wide harmonised regulatory system for the evaluation and authorisation of plant protection products and the active substances in theill. A two-stage registration process has been established through the Directive, with the consideration of the acceptability of active substances being done at community level while the authorisation of specific products and uses is dealt with by the individual Meniber States. Thus, Annex I to the Directive, the list of active substances deemed acceptable and which may be included in pesticide products for use in the community, is the prime focus of the European regulatory system. The programme for evaluating all of the existing active substances (which were oil the market before July 1993) involves several steps and stages, stretching over a period of 15 years. It was formerly co-ordinated by the European Commission and now by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), with the assistance of the ECCO-Team (European Community Co-ordination) since 1996 and since 2003 by the EPCO-Team (EFSA Peer Review Coordination). The Team provides technical and administrative support to the programme for the evaluation of active substances oil behalf of the European Food Safety Authority, and is responsible for the peer review programme in particular.