Bees and pesticides: draft guidance update for public consultation

EFSA has launched a public consultation on its draft guidance document on the risk assessment A specialised field of applied science that involves reviewing scientific data and studies in order to evaluate risks associated with certain hazards. It involves four steps: hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment and risk characterisation of plant protection products and bees, covering honey bees, bumble bees and solitary bees.

EFSA is responding to a request from the European Commission to review the guidance document, first published in 2013, considering new scientific knowledge that has emerged in the meantime.

Comments are particularly invited on the novel approaches included in the draft guidance, which regard the risk assessment and the statistical analysis of field studies.

The consultation will run for 12 weeks to allow for maximum participation among interested parties. EFSA has consulted stakeholders and Member States on key aspects of the guidance update at various stages of the review process.

Interested parties are invited to submit comments on the draft document and its supplementary information via the dedicated consultation pages. The deadline for comments is 3 October 2022.

• Public consultation: Revised guidance on the risk assessment of plant protection products on bees (Apis mellifera, Bombus spp. and solitary bees)