Case studies in which empirical results will be obtained have successfully been designed and are currently being conducted according to the plans. Different systems have been included, ranging from studying impacts of crop-related mixtures of pesticides on above and below ground non-target invertebrates in different climatic contexts to emissions and fate of Contaminants of Emerging Concern as secondary fertilizers, to exposure of migratory birds to chemicals along their migratory routes. All case-studies address different silos of current risk assessment regulations in order to assess their current and future fit-for-use and provide recommendations for further improvements when needed. Together with local, regional, national and EU-level stakeholders, SYBERAC initiated processes, interactively with other EU-projects like PollinERA and PARC, to develop further underpinning and a consensus on the development of overarching system-based Protection Goals and to operationalise these for applications in regulatory decision-making.
SYBERAC made substantial process in establishing in silico models for selected Case studies (Table 1). Species that will be targeted have been selected and system level exposure routes further elucidated, in spatio/temporal contexts. This is work in progress, which will be further illustrated in the WP3 description below. Included case studies are for instance on spatio/temporal use and resulting landscape level distributions of pesticides in specific crops, based on Common Agricultural Practices, and the models impacts of these mixtures on local non-target species within different landscape contexts (CS 1). Impacts of landscape level mitigation measures, including hedgerow will be addressed when empirical data allows. At European level, the spatially explicit exposures of a migratory bird species (the godwit Limosa limosa) to different types of chemicals, including pesticides and industrial chemicals will be modelled with respect to its migratory ecology (CS3). These, and other developments have been achieved by close cross-WP collaborations between partners, enabling the modellers to define the parameters that are essential for the models to run, and the experimental scientists to provide guidance for the optimisation of the models to ensure they are applicable to specific species or environmental scenarios. It is only through such interaction that complex models can be developed and parametrised in a specific and realistic way.
Stakeholder involvement is essential for SYBERAC to be successful in establishing scientific underpinning and regulatory recommendations for further development of sb-ERA frameworks. SYBERAC identified and engaged stakeholders from different decision-contexts, ranging from local stakeholders involved in the different case studies, to regional and national regulatory bodies, to EU-wide policy makers. Interviews and workshops with local, case study connected stakeholders (e.g. citizens, farmers, farm managers, environmental manager, conservation agencies) revealed interesting aspects of their decision-making context and the relationships with EU-level regulations. EU-level interviews are scheduled to review these results in relation to EU-level policy contexts, to establish connections between the different contexts of decision making in the regulation and use of chemicals. It is only through such integrative transformative pathways that EU-wide system-based Protection Goals can be operationalised in such a way that system-based protection from chemical use is actually achieved in the specific, local contexts, as needed. Integration of the activities in WP1, mainly focussed on stakeholder interactions and WP4, mainly focussed on development of recommendations for sb-ERA is key to these developments as well as the coordinated interactions with other EU-projects like TerraChem, PollinERA and PARC (multiple project within Task 6.4.4: Risk assessment to support and promote efficient overall protection of biodiversity). It should be noted that SYBERAC considers the concept of “system-based” wider than ecosystems of biodiversity, but this also include for instance agricultural systems (e.g. “crop based” approaches) and regulatory systems. To establish this focus, SYBERAC has collaborated with PARC Task 6.4.4. to develop a working definition of sb-ERA to is currently in consultation.
