Developments in testing methods for use in risk assessment with the new EFSA guidance document

The new guidance of EFSA will result in a more complex, but a substantially more comprehensive risk assessment for pollinators. The guidance document suggests the implementation of a tiered risk assessment scheme. Each tier ensures that the appropriate level of protection, set by the risk managers, is achieved. For the lower tiers, a number of laboratory studies are required which include the use of non-validated test methods. The on-going activities of ICPPR in this area are recognised by EFSA. The guidance also includes a number of new requirements for the design of field studies. It is acknowledged that some of them are very challenging, especially to ensure the required exposure level and the statistical robustness. However, it is worth noting that those requirements are scientifically sound and are necessary to properly satisfy the protection goals. The guidance document provides recommendations that will assist in addressing those requirements. There is a need for field studies to be more exact and much more controlled in the future.