Public Consultation of the Working Document on the Development of an Approach for the Environmental Risk Assessment of Additives, Products and Substances in Animal Feed

Directive 2001/79/EC on the assessment of additives in animal nutrition stresses the importance of assessing the environmental impact of feed additives, since they are typically used over an extended period of time, often for large numbers of animals and, in some cases, they are excreted by animals into the environment to a considerable extent. Exposure to the environment may also occur through leaching to groundwater and through drain or run-off from grass and arable land to surface water.

To date, environmental risk assessments carried out for feed additives used in the terrestrial compartment have been based on applying simple and non-specific exposure models, while no specific environmental risk assessment guidance exists for the aquatic compartment.

EFSA has set up a self-tasking working group to study this issue and to develop a harmonised approach to assessing the environmental impact of feed additives. The working group brought together 13 European scientists from a range of relevant specialisations. Having reviewed the existing scientific knowledge and available data, the Panel has now drafted a working document which gives an overview of the current situation with regard to farming and aquaculture practices in Europe. It also presents calculation methods to predict the concentrations of additives used in animal feed in the terrestrial and aquatic compartments.

Before the adoption of the Document on the Development of an Approach for the Environmental Risk Assessment of Additives, Products and Substances in Animal Feed, a written consultation will take place in order to receive your comments and/or suggestions on the working document.