EFSA experts have agreed on the future implementation of critical appraisal tools for evaluating ecotoxicology studies under the EU pesticides legal framework, according to a technical report published by the European Food Safety Authority on 30 June 2026. The report documents the outcome of a general experts' meeting that identified and discussed general and specific issues related to the available tools, drawing agreements and recommendations for their use in regulatory risk assessment.
The meeting addressed the application of critical appraisal tools in ecotoxicology, which are used to assess the quality and reliability of studies submitted in the context of pesticide authorisation. Experts reached consensus on the future implementation of these tools in the regulatory context, the report states. The document also notes that amendments to the annexes accompanying the technical report may be introduced based on practical experience, and invites risk assessors in ecotoxicology to provide feedback via a dedicated survey to support further refinement or implementation of current practices.
The technical report, identified by question number EFSA-Q-2024-00679, is published as an open-access EFSA Supporting Publication. It does not specify the date of the experts' meeting, but the report's publication on 30 June 2026 makes the outcomes available for stakeholders involved in pesticide risk assessment. The agreement on tool implementation is expected to affect how ecotoxicology studies are appraised, potentially increasing consistency and transparency in regulatory evaluations. Industry stakeholders, including pesticide manufacturers and contract research organisations, may face more standardised requirements for study submissions, while national authorities and EFSA risk assessors could benefit from clearer guidance. The feedback survey mechanism allows for iterative improvements based on practical experience, which may reduce administrative burden over time. No prior EFSA coverage on this specific topic was identified in the last 180 days.