The Globalization of Regulatory Science on Pesticides: History and Effects on European Law

This chapter offers a legal and historical perspective on international approaches to the use of pesticides. By answering the questions concerning the tools and ideas which have presided over the constitution of regulatory science on pesticides, including the effects within the European Union, the chapter shows that regulatory science is globalized and, as a result, is moving towards European law while concealing certain harmful effects. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a major player in the globalization of pesticide regulatory science, admits that there is insufficient risk assessment for 20,000–100,000 approved chemical products. The OECD's promotion of chemical safety ideas and tools has had at least two observable effects on European law. On the one hand, OECD regulatory science has flowed into European law and, on the other, it has helped to generate ignorance about the harmful effects of pesticides