Effects of Plant Protection Products on Functional Endpoints in Soil (EPFES), Lisbon, 24-26 April 2002

EPFES offers clear guidance for testing and evaluating effects of PPPs on soil nontarget macroorganisms that contribute to the breakdown of organic matter and presents not only considerable background data from the literature but also promising methods for meeting current and future needs for risk assessment of PPPs, including

• Compilation of state-of-the-art knowledge of PPP effects on terrestrial functional endpoints
• Recommendations for improvements in methodology, particularly those relevant to the litter bag test, and ways to include this endpoint in risk assessments
• Draft of a test guideline, ""Breakdown of Organic Matter in Litter Bags""
• Identification of research needs and methods for soil quality assessment of contaminated land