Options for environmental monitoring of pesticides & their impacts post EU exit

Tender description

This project seeks to review some of the accepted approaches to the way we measure the impacts and risks in pesticide use, as well as the ways in which monitoring for those impacts is funded. There is currently heavy reliance on cross-EU mechanisms for approval of active substances in plant protection product. Whilst this is unlikely to change as we leave the EU, our exit from the EU does present risks and opportunities, requiring us to have a clear vision of how we will continue to authorise products to meet the needs of UK agriculture without causing unacceptable impacts on the environment. The outcomes from this project are intended to inform Natural England’s thinking on environmental monitoring, and environmental monitoring of pesticides in particular. This in turn will shape our advice on potential policy approaches and contribute to public and stakeholder confidence in authorisation processes into the future. Whilst the focus at this stage is primarily on plant protection products, there are some overlaps with the way in which biocides, veterinary medicines and pharmaceuticals might impact and be monitored in the terrestrial environment. It may be possible to extend the scope to some of these products where there are obvious synergies.