The European Commission has proposed a “Food and Feed Safety Omnibus” regulation that includes a shift toward indefinite approval for most active substances in pesticides, except in specific cases involving the most hazardous substances.
The European Commission (EC) is introducing targeted changes to the EU pesticide regulation by proposing a regulation titled “Food and Feed Safety Omnibus” which aims to simplify food-safety law by making the approval system for many pesticide active substances effectively open-ended, removing routine, time-limited re-approval and the automatic safety reassessments that currently happen every decade or more.
How pesticide approval currently works
Under the current EU pesticide framework (Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009), active substances are approved for a fixed period, typically 10–15 years. Before this period expires, companies must apply for renewal, thus triggering a new risk assessment that considers updated scientific evidence. This process allows regulators to account for advances in toxicology, epidemiology, environmental monitoring, and real-world exposure data. This time-limited approval system is not merely bureaucratic. It is one of the EU’s main safeguards for ensuring that chemicals already on the market are reassessed as scientific understanding evolves.
What the Omnibus proposal would change
One of the proposed changes is to remove the automatic expiry of approvals for many active substances. Therefore, instead of pesticide systematic renewals, substances would remain authorised unless specific concerns arise that trigger a targeted review. In practice, this would create a default system of open-ended or indefinite approvals for a large proportion of pesticide active substances. Only certain categories, such as substances identified as particularly hazardous, would be subject to mandatory periodic reassessment.
Another significant change introduced by the Omnibus regulation is the extension of grace periods for banned substances. The proposal increases flexibility for companies to phase out products after a substance is prohibited, allowing more time to sell, distribute, store, and use existing stocks. In most cases, a grace period of up to 18 months is envisaged, six months for sale and distribution, followed by twelve months for storage and use. However, this period may be extended to up to three years where “no other reasonable means” of plant protection are deemed available. This wording is notably vague and could give industry actors substantial leeway to justify continued use, while leaving uncertainty over who determines what constitutes a “reasonable” alternative and on what basis such decisions would be made.
Why should we be concerned
Removing routine pesticide renewal cycles weakens a core pillar of chemical safety regulation, as many adverse effects of pesticides, especially chronic or ecosystem-level impacts, only become evident after years of use. Without regular reassessment, harmful substances could remain on the market far longer than intended. And if pesticide reviews only happen when problems are formally identified, emerging risks may be overlooked or addressed too late. That concern is also shared by NGO groups such as Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe) and Foodwatch. As earlier stated, pesticide reassessments incorporate new toxicology, epidemiology, environmental monitoring and real-world exposure data, and this new information accumulates over time and can change a pesticide risk profile dramatically.
The EU Commission justification
The European Commission argues that the omnibus will allow regulators to focus resources where they are most needed (i.e., for genuinely risky substances), reduce duplication, and make the approval process more efficient with the goal of cutting administrative costs by roughly 25-35%. Supporters claim it could speed up access to safer alternatives and innovative products while maintaining high safety standards. From this perspective, the proposal is framed as a smarter regulation and simplification effort intended to cut bureaucracy rather than deregulation.
Current status of the proposal
As of February 2026, the European Commission’s Food and Feed Safety Omnibus is in the legislative negotiation phase. The proposal was formally adopted by the Commission on 16 December 2025 and has since been submitted to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. Both institutions are now examining the text, with substantive discussions, amendments, and negotiations expected to continue throughout 2026 before any final decision is reached.
Link to the Omnibus proposal: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/da/ip_25_3081/IP_25_3081_EN.pdf