According to UK representative for Koppert Biological Systems, draconian regulations are depriving Europe's farmers of useful eco-friendly biopesticides in contrast to the US where control regulations introduced in 1996 by the US Environmental Protection Agency provides a fast evaluation process of new products and their approval where deemed acceptable. The definition of biopesticides by the (EPA) is very broad, including naturally occurring toxins or pheromones and the genes that encode them as well as diseases that kill pests, such as the widely used bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. In Europe the same regulatory criteria also apply to synthetic pesticides and any form of biopesticide. Application fees in Europe to approve such products are very high while the market for biopesticides is usually small; they are mostly used in greenhouses or by organic farmers, thus making registration inpracticeable and the products unprofitable. Regulators in Europe also demand proof that products work, whereas the EPA lets farmers make up their own minds about biopesticides. Since biopesticides tend to act more slowly and are sensitive to environmental conditions, the degree of proof of efficiency is more difficult to obtain. An Advisory Committee on Pesticides in the UK is looking into the issue, and fees are being reduced in a pilot scheme. Andy Coghlan, "New Scientist" 15.11.03 www.newscientist.com