Pesticides Stakeholder Group

Overview

The Pesticides Stakeholder Group (PSG) was established in March 2021 to address concerns from pesticide users and other stakeholders around the withdrawal, or significant changes to approval of, key plant protection products under legislation on pesticide approval and use.

The PSG’s purpose is to provide a forum for Scottish ministers, Scottish Government officials, industry representatives and other stakeholders to discuss matters primarily related to plant protection product (PPP) authorisation and use that may have an impact in Scotland.

It will help develop a better joint understanding of that impact, how it may affect different sectors and the natural environment and what steps need to be taken to be able to support sustainable pest management.

The PSG will:

• look ahead to potential changes to PPP authorisations, primarily focussing on withdrawals/end of authorisation periods of active substances and products (including grace periods) but also raising other significant changes in regulation and authorisations such as changes to authorisation conditions, guidance, MRLs and applications for emergency authorisations of PPPs
• provide a forum for knowledge and information sharing from different sectors about their experience of using PPPs and other pest control measures
• provide a forum to gain an understanding of the on-the-ground importance and efficacy of products which may be withdrawn from future use and investigate the availability of possible alternative control measures, to help identify areas where further research may be required or to aid development of alternative management practices, contingency plans etc
• hear views from other stakeholders who may not be direct users of PPPs but who have an interest in their use

Members

• Agrovista
• Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC)
• Amenity Forum
• Angus Growers (AG)
• British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI)
• British Potato Trade Association  (BPTA)
• British Retail Consortium 
• Confederation of Forest Industries (CONFOR)
• Co-op
• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)
• East of Scotland Growers (ESG)
• Horticulture Crop Protection UK Ltd
• Horticultural Trades Association (HTA)
• James Hutton Institute (JHI)
• Kettle Produce
• Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF)
• Marks and Spencer 
• NatureScot
• National Farmers Union, Scotland (NFUS)
• Scottish Agronomy
• Scottish Forestry
• Scottish Government
• Scottish Quality Crops
• Scottish Voluntary Initiative
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
• Soil Association
• Scottish Organic Producers Association (SOPA)
• Scotland's Rural College (SRUC)
• Voluntary Initiative
• Waitrose