"The Agricultural Pesticides Committee (APC) decides to ban the registration, circulation, and use of 4 active ingredients classified as Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs)."

"Based on the decision of the Agricultural Pesticides Committee (APC) to phase out highly hazardous pesticides by 2030, and in accordance with the eight criteria established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)—under which a pesticide is classified as a Highly Hazardous Pesticide (HHP) if it meets any single criterion—and building upon the findings of the Periodic Review Committee formed to review registered pesticides in Egypt and assess the applicability of these eight criteria to them, while ensuring the availability of alternative recommended compounds, the Committee, chaired by Prof. Dr. Hala Abu Youssef, has resolved to cancel 4 active ingredients classified as Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs)."

Agricultural Pesticides Committee, chaired by Prof. Dr. Hala Abou Youssef, during its Session No. 5/2026 held on 5 May 2026, decided the following:

The registration of the following four active ingredients shall be cancelled:

Benthiavalicarb-isopropyl
Chloropicrin
Chlorothalonil
Thiophanate-methyl

This decision shall be implemented according to the following mechanism:

The experimental use of these pesticides shall cease as of the date of approval by the Main Committee during its Session No. 5/2026 held on 5 May 2026.
Technical import approvals for these active ingredients may continue to be issued until 31 December 2026, provided that the imported quantities do not exceed the maximum quantities imported during the previous year.
The final deadline for the circulation and marketing of these pesticides shall be 30 June 2027.

The Committee remains in continuous session to implement its decision aimed at ensuring that Egypt becomes free of Highly Hazardous Pesticides by 2030, in line with the principle that “Pesticide safety takes precedence over pesticide efficacy.”