Counterfeit pesticides

Filed under:

Regulatory affairs

What are counterfeit pesticides?

Counterfeit pesticides are fake pesticides. Increasing quantities are being produced, marketed and sold. Advances in technology along with relaxed trade laws have facilitated the global spread of fake products, endangering agriculture, human health, the environment and economy. The problem is multi-faceted, and includes:

Sophisticated counterfeits - with packaging and labelling identical to legitimate products.
Illegal parallel imports - products masquerading as legitimate, but containing inferior materials.
Low quality copies - unlabelled, unregistered and untested.

How does this dangerous trade work?

Illegal pesticides are most often produced in Asia. Production operations vary, but in all cases they do not comply with the same strict quality and safety standards as Europe. Illegal products are shipped to the EU by air or sea. They are usually falsely identified and ignore safety standards for transport and handling.

Highly toxic and flammable substances are routinely transported without regard to the safety of crews, handlers or the general public.

Products are distributed throughout Europe by organised criminals, many of whom are involved in narcotics trafficking, smuggling and prostitution. Illegal pesticides are used on farms around the EU, threatening consumers’ health, the environment and farmers’ livelihoods. They are trafficked through commercial distributors or directly by criminal gangs.

Learn more - help stop the trade in counterfeit pesticides

ECPA is working to increase awareness of the problem and to improve legislation controlling their import and use across Europe. ECPA regularly collaborates with customs and enforcement agencies around Europe to raise awareness of the issue and support intelligence gathering and enforcement of regulation. See video and publications lower on this page.

To learn more / report suspected counterfeit pesticides, visit www.illegalpesticides.eu

Mini-documentary - 'Counterfeit Pesticides'. First broadcast 5th October 2010 by on German TV, ARD 'plusminus' (this version is in English)

'Stop the trade in illegal pesticides' An ECPA video report on European efforts (Hamburg, Budapest and Almeria) to bring an end to the dangerous trade in illegal pesticides.

'Stop the traffic in illegal pesticides' - booklet

Open publication (read online)

Download Anti-counterfeit booklet (590Kb)