Last year the Government published the UK Pesticides National Action Plan (NAP). It sets out how all four UK Governments will support farmers, growers and other land managers to increase their use of sustainable farming practices to reduce the potential harm from pesticides. The NAP introduces a UK domestic target to reduce the potential pressures from pesticides on the environment by 10% by 2030.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) also pays farmers and land managers to carry out actions that support the sustainable production of food and boost farm productivity and resilience, while protecting and enhancing the environment.

We know that the production of inorganic fertilisers is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and that the poor application of all fertilisers can have negative environmental impacts. We are supportive of all routes to more sustainable fertiliser manufacture and use, this includes greener production, improving nutrient use efficiency and diversifying the types of fertilisers available.

A pesticide may only be placed on the market in Great Britain (GB) if the product has been authorised by the Health and Safety Executive, GB’s pesticide regulator. This government has also already taken decisive action on neonicotinoids: it set out plans to change existing policies to prevent the use of three neonicotinoid pesticides that threaten vital pollinators, including through emergency authorisations, in our policy statement of 21 December 2024. Negotiations are underway on a Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement with the EU; any further action can be considered once the new pesticides regulatory framework for Great Britain is agreed.

In March 2025, Defra, alongside the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive, published the UK Pesticides National Action Plan (NAP). The NAP includes a UK domestic target to reduce the potential environmental harm from pesticides by at least 10% by 2030, as measured by our Pesticide Load Indicator (PLI). We are committed to publishing biennial reports on the results of indicator monitoring and progress against the PLI target.

The aim of the PLI is to illustrate trends in the potential pressure on the environment arising from the use of pesticides. The PLI combines data on pesticide usage with information on pesticide properties, such as how harmful they are to different wildlife groups and the way they behave in the environment. It consists of 4 environmental fate metrics (covering behaviour in the environment such as how quickly pesticides break down) and 16 ecotoxicity metrics (covering pesticide toxicity to non-target wildlife such as bees and fish). Taking 2018 as a baseline we have seen more than a 10% decrease in most of the metrics in 2024 on arable crops.

We know that the poor application of fertilisers can have negative environmental impacts. Defra is supporting farmers to use fertilisers more efficiently including by promoting the Nutrient Management Planning Tool and promoting AHDB guidance.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), as the regulator for pesticides in Great Britain, has granted an emergency authorisation for a product containing the active substance acetamiprid in line with the requirements set out in relevant legislation. The authorisation is time-limited and subject to strict conditions of use, including appropriate controls and mitigations.

The short term and longer-term risks to bees were carefully assessed by HSE during the process. The short-term impact assessment showed that the level of risk was within acceptable limits. The longer-term impacts on bees were considered, and existing scientific studies reviewed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that the long-term risk to honeybees, their larvae and also bumble bees was low, and any effects on the colony survival and development is likely to be low.

The risks to butterflies (or lepidoptera, which includes moths) were considered as part of the wider assessment of the risks to non-target arthropods/insects. This concluded that risks within treated fields could be managed, with a restriction preventing use after 31^st July. To protect non-target arthropods/insects outside the treated field, additional safeguards were specified, including a 5m buffer zone restriction.

Pesticides are strictly controlled in the UK. A pesticide may only be placed on the market in Great Britain if the active substance is approved, and the product has been authorised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which regulates pesticides in the UK. This only happens following a thorough scientific risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met. Pesticides that pose unacceptable risks are not authorised.

Veterinary medicines follow a different regulatory framework to pesticides, balancing benefits of product use against environmental impacts. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate is analysing responses to an eight‑week call for evidence on certain parasiticides and supporting international environmental risk assessment work.

The Government is currently negotiating a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and regulatory barriers for British producers and retailers.

Under the UK‑EU Common Understanding, it is recognised that there will be areas where the UK will retain its own rules. The details of this are subject to negotiation, but the Government has been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards.

This Government does not currently plan to introduce a blanket ban on veterinary use of active substances restricted in crop protection.

Veterinary medicines and pesticides are regulated under distinct frameworks, reflecting differences in use, exposure and risk.

All veterinary medicines are subject to a robust, science‑based benefit–risk assessment by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and authorised only where benefits outweigh risks, including to the environment.

The UK-EU SPS agreement is under negotiation and pesticides regulations are in scope. The Common Understanding sets out that the United Kingdom, acting in respect of Great Britain, will dynamically align with all the relevant European Union rules. My Department’s analysis of divergence between the UK and EU regulatory decisions is ongoing. This has greatly benefited from evidence and insight from business, which is informing the approach to negotiations and implementation.