The approval and renewal of pesticides and biocontrol substances is facing massive delays across Europe, according to Klaus Berend, director for food safety, sustainability and innovation at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE).

Berend told the “Protect our Health, Water and Biodiversity from Pesticides” conference in Dublin that around 420 active substances are approved in the EU and approximately 200 of these currently seeking renewal.

“They’re all massively delayed,” he said. “Of these 200, around 100 are delayed by more than five years and 10 are delayed by more than 10 years.”

Berend warned that this is also causing issues when it comes to approving new substances, especially more environmentally-friendly “biocontrol substances”.

We have for years and years called on member states at all levels to increase their capacities but it is just not happening. We have even made available financial support for member states to recruit additional staff and yet we don’t see any real change or improvement

“If we don’t do anything, the situation will become worse in the future. The delays will further accumulate and, therefore, there will be no capacity to deal with applications for new biocontrol substances,” he said.

It is for this reason that many of the measures in the Food and Feed Safety Simplification package have been proposed. It is hoped that these delays will be reduced while maintaining the high standards substances must meet to be approved.

“We have for years and years called on member states at all levels to increase their capacities but it is just not happening. We have even made available financial support for member states to recruit additional staff and yet we don’t see any real change or improvement," Berend commented. "Our conclusion was that a continuing of the situation as it is was not tenable.”