The Government should adopt an evidence-based strategy in formulating pesticide legislation, promoting the development of new plant pesticides with heightened target specificity. This approach would aim to mitigate the dual risks of pest resistance development and adverse off-target effects on beneficial insects. Any alterations to the regulatory framework should include ongoing monitoring of the impact on non- target species in field environments, where approved active substances are employe...

The Government should adopt an evidence-based strategy in formulating pesticide legislation, promoting the development of new plant pesticides with heightened target specificity. This approach would aim to mitigate the dual risks of pest resistance development and adverse off-target effects on beneficial insects. Any alterations to the regulatory framework should include ongoing monitoring of the impact on non- target species in field environments, where approved active substances are employed. Moreover, there should be an expansion in the range of non-target species for which data is collected to assess a chemical’s impact prior to regulator Type: recommendation | Number: 34 | Response status: not_addressed Government response: Defra acknowledges this recommendation. The Government’s first priority with regard to pesticides is to ensure that they will not harm people or pose unacceptable risks to the environment. Now that we have left the EU, and operate an independent GB pesticides