Bayer tomato plant testing

Bayer announced that its transparency initiative has entered the next phase, with full, in-depth, safety-related study reports now available providing they are not used for commercial purpose.

Bayer’s transparency platform demonstrates how transparency around crop protection safety studies can be improved, while at the same time safeguarding confidential business information.

'Bayer’s initiative leads the way regarding the transparency of crop protection studies, said Dr Adrian Percy, global head of research and development for the Crop Science Division. 'We welcome the European Commission’s plan to make industry studies more transparent while respecting the need to protect legitimate confidential business information.

'It is critical to ensure that safety data is made available strictly for non-commercial use in order to protect and continue promoting innovation,' he added.

The company said that it is offering its full support to the European Commission in finding practical solutions to make industry safety studies more accessible.

First announced in 2016, Bayer’s transparency initiative aims to break down barriers to build public trust and foster a fair, science-based dialogue around crop protection products.

The platform was first launched in 2017 and, until now, mostly study summaries were available in addition to safety-related study reports on the active substance imidacloprid.

Trust in the science used to ensure safety of its products is of vital importance to Bayer. With this in mind, the group sees its transparency initiative as a contribution to regain trust by the public and policy makers in regulatory science.