Does pesticide risk assessment in the European Union assess long-term effects?

TLDR: Production of a formal conceptual ecological risk assessment model for each product or active substance for which authorization is sought would provide an appropriate framework for integrating and applying such knowledge.

Abstract: Current methods would allow reasonable predictions of long-term effects of pesticide application if three changes were instituted. First, more population-based laboratory studies should be applied in predictive pesticide risk assessment. Second, ERA should include as much effort on collating and integrating ecological knowledge into the assessment in Tier 1 as is currently expended on gathering chemical and toxicological information on exposure and effects. Production of a formal conceptual ecological risk assessment model for each product or active substance for which authorization is sought would provide an appropriate framework for integrating and applying such knowledge. Third, in acknowledgment of the uncertainties in the predictive risk assessment process, more postauthorization monitoring should be done.