German Federal Environment Agency (UBA)
The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is Germany’s central federal authority on environmental matters with the mission statement 'for man and the environment'. Its key statutory mandates are: monitor the state of the environment, provide scientific support to the Federal Government, implement environmental laws and inform the public about environmental protection.
Role in the project
The UBA Department 'Plant Protection Products' deals with all aspects of the environmental risk assessment of plant protection products and the EU Active Substances Programme, including the development and publishing risk assessment guidance or methodologies used in a regulatory process. The Department ‘State of soils and soil monitoring’ deals with monitoring and assessing the state of soils and is involved in the establishment of a German Soil Monitoring Centre.
The UBA participants will contribute to different aspects of the project by providing expertise in the fields of terrestrial ecotoxicology and risk assessment of pesticides as well as in the areas of e.g. mixture toxicity applied to environmental risk assessment, field monitoring, direct and indirect effects (i.e. associated with reduction in food provision) and uncertainty analyses. Based on their experience, they will also assist the implementation of relevant case studies in WP 2 to ensure that these studies remain relevant to policy needs and practices. With their background in the development of concepts for a more holistic perspective across silos in the various areas of the regulatory frameworks, the participants will take an active role in the WP 4 on systems-based environmental risk assessment to support efficient risk management decisions.
People involved
Sabine Duquesne
Senior environmental scientist with more than 10y experience in the field of risk assessment of pesticides. Expert in ecotoxicology, extensive experience in academic research. Member of the EFSA PPR Panel since 2012; provide scientific advice on generic issues in the fields of ecotoxicology, exposure and risk assessment. Involved in the development of concepts for system-based approaches e.g. PARC 6.4.4.
Oliver Weisner
Ecotoxicologist working as environmental risk assessor for pesticides at UBA. His background is in the monitoring of pesticides in the environment and linking it to effects on biodiversity. His focus here is often on environmental pesticide mixtures and the assessment of the related ecological risks.
Silvia Pieper
Head of the ‘Soil state and soil monitoring’ unit at UBA with a background in terrestrial ecology and ecotoxicology. Previously, she worked for 15 years in the environmental risk assessment of pesticides. Involved with EFSA since 2011 and currently co-chairing the EFSA PPR Panel. Focus on chemical impacts on terrestrial biodiversity and on combining prospective and retrospective risk assessment.