CETA Threatens EU and Member States’ Ability to Effectively Regulate the Dangers of Pesticides

The report contends that CETA threatens EU pesticide regulations through regulatory cooperation and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). It highlights significant differences between EU and Canadian approaches, specifically the EU's use of hazard-based cutoffs and stricter Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs). The author argues that CETA's mechanisms for regulatory convergence and the ability of investors to sue for 'fair and equitable treatment' will pressure the EU to lower its health and environmental standards to facilitate trade.

• The EU and Canada employ fundamentally different approaches to pesticide approval; the EU uses 'hazard-based cutoff criteria' to automatically prohibit substances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic, or endocrine disrupting, regardless of exposure. In contrast, Canada requires a specific risk assessment for most of these substances, except for persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substances (PBTs).
• The EU maintains significantly stricter Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for pesticides in food than Canada. The EU's default MRL is ten times lower than Canada's, and in a comparison of 38 cases, Canada had a weaker MRL in 34 of them.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2017). CETA Threatens EU and Member States’ Ability to Effectively Regulate the Dangers of Pesticides. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/CIEL_CETA-Pesticide-Report_6july2017.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. CETA Threatens EU and Member States’ Ability to Effectively Regulate the Dangers of Pesticides. 2017. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/CIEL_CETA-Pesticide-Report_6july2017.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=CETA Threatens EU and Member States’ Ability to Effectively Regulate the Dangers of Pesticides |date=July 2017 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/CIEL_CETA-Pesticide-Report_6july2017.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2017ceta, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{CETA Threatens EU and Member States’ Ability to Effectively Regulate the Dangers of Pesticides}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2017}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/CIEL_CETA-Pesticide-Report_6july2017.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }