Pesticides: Exports

(asked on 12th March 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many exports of pesticides banned in the UK have been supplied to (a) India and (b) other regions in the last two years; and what plans he has to prohibit exports of (a) Paraquet and (b) other pesticides that are banned in the UK to India.


Answered by
Victoria Prentis Portrait
Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
This question was answered on 22nd March 2021

The export of non-approved or severely restricted pesticides is regulated under the Great Britain Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regulatory regime for the export and import of certain hazardous chemicals. Companies intending to export any of these chemicals must notify the importing country via the exporter’s Designated National Authority. If a chemical is restricted for one use (for example use as a pesticide) all exports will be covered by PIC even if the export will in fact be used for a purpose that is not subject to restrictions.

The exchange of information under PIC helps importing countries to make informed decisions on the import, handling and use of those chemicals for their specific circumstances.

Some information on exports in previous years can be found on the website of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), although this does not include all the detail requested. Defra does not hold this information.

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