Today, PAN Europe and PAN International are calling on the WHO and the OECD, via a letter, to reject and condemn EFSA's methodology to assess cocktail effects of pesticides. Salomé Roynel, Campaigner at PAN Europe commented: “In this letter we argue, based on our work, that EFSA's methodology is inherently biased. It was designed by and for industry, that is, in a way that does not compromise the approval/renewal of active substances. This ‘desired-outcome’ approach is light years away from what science and risk assessment require. Not to mention that it gives little consideration to the actual adverse effects on humans and the environment of combined pesticide exposure.”
PAN Europe calls on the WHO and the OECD to refrain from aligning their name and reputation to such work, which is more of a data manipulation than a scientific exercise. Instead, we recommend looking at the methodology promoted by the EU Chemical Strategy for Sustainability: the Mixture Assessment Factor (MAF).