This book explores the regulation of pesticides in the European Union in order to reveal the complex, controversial, and contested nature of an assessment system proudly declared by the EU to be 'the strictest in the world'. The current regulatory framework is based on Regulation 1107/2009, which substantially reformed the previous system. The analysis describes the new criteria and procedures for the authorization of active substances to be used in the production of pesticides, traces the lengthy policy formulation process, and identifies factors that made policy change possible. Further, the book illustrates the current controversies that characterise the implementation of Regulation 1107/2009: the ban of pesticides harmful to pollinators, the renewal of the authorization of glyphosate, and the definition of criteria for the assessment of endocrine disruption. The author provides information on policy outcomes and highlights persisting shortcomings in the enforcement of EU regulation. This book will appeal to students and scholars from a variety of disciplines, including political science, political sociology, and public policy.--

This book explores the regulation of pesticides in the European Union in order to reveal the complex, controversial, and contested nature of an assessment system proudly declared by the EU to be ‘the strictest in the world’. The current regulatory framework is based on Regulation 1107/2009, which substantially reformed the previous system. The analysis describes the new criteria and procedures for the authorization of active substances to be used in the production of pesticides, traces the lengthy policy formulation process, and identifies factors that made policy change possible. Further, the book illustrates the current controversies that characterise the implementation of Regulation 1107/2009: the ban of pesticides harmful to pollinators, the renewal of the authorization of glyphosate, and the definition of criteria for the assessment of endocrine disruption. The author provides information on policy outcomes and highlights persisting shortcomings in the enforcement of EU regulation. This book will appeal to students and scholars from a variety of disciplines, including political science, political sociology, and public policy.

Substances used to suppress, eradicate and prevent organisms that are considered harmful are grouped under the term ‘pesticide’. The term includes both plant protection products (used on plants in agriculture, horticulture, parks and gardens) and biocidal products (used in other applications, for example, as a disinfectant or to protect materials). Pesticides can be useful in a number of circumstances, for example, in overcoming diseases and increasing agricultural yields. However, they are not without their disadvantages - above all, their environmental impact, the risks that they pose to human health and their effects on crop protection. European Union pesticide legislation is designed to ensure a high level of protection for human health and the environment and to improve the functioning of the internal market. Plant production products and biocides are subject to a dual approval process: active substances are approved at EU level and products are subsequently authorised predominantly at Member State level. Furthermore, standardised maximum levels are set for the residues of plant protection products in food, and a framework for action is focused on sustainable pesticide use. A number of aspects of European Union policy on pesticides can be considered as either opportunities or challenges, in particular, issues surrounding costs for the industry, the approval process, and sustainability. The Commission is currently assessing the legislation on plant protection products and their residues. The conclusions of that study are expected by the end of 2018.

This work discusses how environmental policy in a federal or confederal system may differ both in theory and practice from that found in a unitary government system. After examining the framework for environmental policy in the EU and US, the authors present papers on their federal institutions, the economic forces affecting environmental governance, the choice of policy instruments, linkages between trade and environmental policy and environmental regulations within international trade negotiations. The final part brings together a series of case studies which shed light on the research questions formulated earlier in the book. Issues discussed include the regulation of agricultural pollution, global warming, ozone pollution and environmental security.