Public consultation on the Risk Assessment of Plant Protection Products on bees (Apis mellifera, Bombus spp. and solitary bees) - Extended deadline: 12 November 2012

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EFSA has launched an open consultation on the draft Guidance on the Risk Assessment of Plant Protection Products on Bees (including Apis mellifera, Bombus spp. and solitary bees).  The Guidance Document is intended to provide guidance to applicants and authorities in the context of the evaluation of Plant Protection Products (PPPs) and their active substances under Regulation (EC) 1107/2009. The scientific opinion on the science behind the development of a risk assessment of plant protection products on bees (Apis mellifera, Bombus spp. and solitary bees) (EFSA 2012) provided the scientific basis for the development of the Guidance Document. Specific protection goals were agreed in consultation with the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health. The Guidance Document proposes a tiered risk assessment scheme with a simple and cost effective first tier to more complex higher tier studies under semi-field and field conditions. Each of the tiers will have to ensure that the appropriate level of protection is achieved. Not enough data were available in certain areas (e.g. background mortality rates of bees, differences in species sensitivity) and conservative assumptions had to be made. The Guidance Document includes several new approaches to address issues highlighted in the opinion. Test protocols for bumble bees and solitary bees need to be fully validated. Therefore the feedback from stakeholders is considered as very important for finalising the guidance document.

In line with EFSA’s policy on openness and transparency and in order for EFSA to receive comments from the scientific community and stakeholders, EFSA has launched a public consultation on the draft document developed by the EFSA Working Group on Bee Risk Assessment.

Interested parties are invited to submit written comments by 25 October 2012.

Please use exclusively the electronic template provided with the documents to submit comments and refer to the line and page numbers. Please note that comments submitted by e-mail or by post cannot be taken into account and that a submission will not be considered if it is:

• • submitted after the deadline set out in the call
  • presented in any form other than what is provided for in the instructions and template
  • not related to the contents of the document
  • contains complaints against institutions, personal accusations, irrelevant or offensive statements or material related to policy or risk management aspects, which are out of the scope of EFSA's activity.

EFSA will assess all comments from interested parties which are submitted in line with the criteria above. The comments will be further considered by the relevant EFSA Working Group and taken into consideration if found to be relevant.

All comments submitted will be published. Comments submitted by individuals in a personal capacity will be presented anonymously. Comments submitted formally on behalf of an organisation will appear with the name of the organisation.