Europol investigation involving law enforcement authorities from 31 countries (Operation Silver Axe VII) found widespread evidence of counterfeit pesticides on sale in the EU.
A number of modus operandi were discovered:
- The import of almost finalised products in containers resembling well-known brands. Once imported, they need only to be labelled before going on the black market.
- The import of illegal ingredients for the production of pesticides. To lower the chances of detection, the chemicals are only used at the final production stage at the locations where the packaging is also being counterfeited.
- The misuse of the parallel trading system, which eases the approval procedures of pesticides sold within the EU. As part of this system, a plant protection product that is authorised in one Member State (Member State of origin) may, subject to granting a parallel trade permit, be introduced, placed on the market or used in another Member State. Some criminals abuse this system by introducing illegally produced plant protection products to a Member State, fraudulently claiming that they have already been approved in a different Member State and thereby removing the need for further approvals.
Counterfeit and substandard formulations not only risk environmental damage and pesticide resistance but can also lead to unexpected chemical residues in food. This is an example of where food fraud impacts food safety.
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