1. Implementing Regulations on pesticide statistics
Johan Selenius
May 2010

2. History of the regulation
Proposal drafted by Eurostat Pesticide expert group
Adopted by Commission in December 2006
Part of the package for the Community Thematic Strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides:
Framework Directive on sustainable use of pesticides
New Regulation for the placing of PPP on the market
Machinery Directive
1st Reading:
2nd Reading: 2009
Adoption: 25 November 2009
Publication: 10 December 2009
May 2010

3. Timetable for data collection-delivery
Main Deliverables
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017-
Adoption of the Regulation 
PPP sales statistics
Reference periods
RP1
RP2
RP3
RP4
RP5
RP6
Data from MS    
Data publication    
PPP use statistics
Reference periods
RP1
RP2
Data from MS 
Data publication 
Report and publications
Report to EP 
Sales data:
1st reference year = Y2 (2011)
1st delivery: Y3 (2012)
Use data:
1st reference period = Y1-Y5 ( )
1st complete delivery = Y6 (2015)
May 2010

4. Implementing regulations
The appropriate technical format for the transmission of data shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure;
Modifications to the quality reports, the adoption of the definition of the "area treated and the adaptation of the list of substances to be covered and their classification in categories of products and chemical classes shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny
Two different procedures and implementing regulations!
European Statistical System Committee, not the CPSA, gives its opinion
May 2010

5. Transmission format Two sets of data with delivery dates years apart
Sales data annually, starting from 2012
Use data every 5 years, with first compulsory transmission 2015
Eurostat considers it premature to define the transmission format for both sets at this stage.
In the draft regulation, only the transmission formats for the sales data have therefore been included
Too much technical details in a regulation gives too much rigidity to a topic where it can be expected that the technical developments might be rapid
May 2010

6. Transmission format
The statistical data on the placing on the market of pesticides should be transmitted using the Statistical Data and Metadata eXchange (SDMX) format.
The data shall be transmitted or uploaded by electronic means to the single entry point for data at Eurostat (e-Damis).
Member States shall transmit the required data conforming to the technical specifications provided by the Commission (Eurostat).
FAO would like to add their data requirements to ours (see separate presentation)
May 2010

7. To be discussed
Do you agree to including only sales data at this stage?
Do you agree to keep the technical details to a minimum?
Do you agree to using the new reporting standard SDMX?
What about the needs of FAO, should Eurostat collect this information on behalf of FAO?
May 2010

8. Definition of area treated
Eurostat considers that the definition should be straightforward and not difficult to implement
The term "area treated" is suggested to mean
"the physical area of the crop treated at least once with a given active substance, independently of the number of applications. The "utilised agricultural area" means the total area taken up by arable land, permanent grassland, permanent crops and the kitchen gardens used by the holdings, regardless of the type of tenure or whether it is used as common land”
May 2010

9. To be discussed
Do you agree with this definition?
May 2010

10. Active substances
The list of active substances on the website of DG SANCO ( is constantly updated
The updated annex III is based on the situation in February this year
The supporting information (CAS-numbers, CIPAC numbers) on new substances is not available
It is not always clear to which product categories or chemical class an active substance should be allocated
May 2010

11. Active substances
Several different sources have been used for the classification:
the information in SANCO database (
EFSA fact sheets (
CIPAC website (
Compendium of Pesticide Common Names (
The PPDB Pesticide Properties Database (
May 2010

12. Active substances
64 of the substances in the present Annex III have been deleted from the SANCO list of active substances but have been resubmitted for inclusion. If they are excluded from the statistics, there is a risk that information on important pesticides will be lost
80 of the substances have been deleted but have not been resubmitted for inclusion, and should pose no problems
58 new applications are pending, and many of them are potentially important new substances that could have a great impact on sales and use data.
For 93 substances ADI, ARfD and AOEL are all “non applicable”, meaning no risk?
May 2010

13. Categories and classes
27 different categories of substances, but no active substances in the updated list for 2 categories
92 chemical classes of substances but 32 with only 1 active substance, 22 with 2, leaving the question whether the confidentiality rules will make results unusable?
May 2010

14. To be discussed
How to deal with the missing CAS and CIPAC numbers as codes are needed for data processing and transmission?
Is it worthwhile to collect information on all substances?
What to do about the “non-risk” substances?
Should the deleted but resubmitted be included?
What about the pending substances?
Is the present classification causing problems in using the data, and how to deal with this issue?
May 2010

15. Harmonised classification
May 2010

16. Harmonised classification
May 2010

17. Coding: a suggestion May 2010 MAJOR GROUPS and Categories of products
New Code
Old Code
Chemical Class
Active substances
CAS
CIPAC
Fungicides and Bactericides F0
Inorganic fungicides
F1. F1
F1.1
COPPER COMPOUNDS
F1.1.1
ALL COPPER COMPOUNDS 44
F1.1.2
BORDEAUX MIXTURE
F1.1.3
COPPER HYDROXIDE
F1.1.4
COPPER (I) OXIDE
F1.1.5
COPPER OXYCHLORIDE
F1.1.6
TRIBASIC COPPER SULPHATE
F1.1.7
OTHER COPPER SALTS
F1.2
INORGANIC SULFUR
F1.2.1
SULFUR 18
F1.3
OTHER INORGANIC FUNGICIDES
F1.3.1
Sodium hypochlorite
None
F1.3.2
May 2010

18. Implementing plans: STATISTICS
Pesticide Statistics Regulation Art.6:
The Commission shall be assisted by the European Statistical System Committee
May 2010