Towards a better pesticide policy for the European Union

This opinion article aims to foster the debate about pesticide legislation in the European Union (EU). Numerous formerly authorized and widely used pesticides are now banned in the EU because unexpected and unacceptable risks emerged after their initial introduction to the market. Throughout this time lapse, environmental quality and human health have been threatened by the use of these compounds. These hazards could have been prevented by a more responsive pesticide regulatory framework. This article provides detailed insights into the pros and cons of pesticides, and points out weaknesses of the current pesticide environmental risk assessment procedures. Possibilities for improving the robustness and reliability of the pesticide regulatory framework are discussed. [Display omitted] •Ensuring the safe use of pesticides is a real challenge for regulating authorities.•Pesticide policy is criticized to compromise environmental and human health effects.•Improving the pesticide authorization process can help minimizing unwanted effects.•We explain the different phases in pesticides authorization at the EU level.•We propose feasible ways of improving the pre- and post-authorization processes.