The association PAN Europe has filed a complaint with the European Ombudsman regarding the revision of the "specific protection objectives" of the criteria for the environmental risk assessment of pesticides carried out by the European Commission. The experts involved in the design of the method resulting from the revision were in conflict of interest, according to the association.

The Ombudsman opened an investigation into only one aspect of the complaint, namely the absence of a conflict of interest declaration by one of the experts selected by the Commission to participate in a workshop. The Commission should have asked the expert to submit a declaration of interest because of the nature of the workshop, which concerned the implementation of EU legislation in a controversial area, the expert's role in this area and the fact that the expert was presented as independent. The procedure was finally stopped because the Commission asked the expert to submit his declaration of interest in the meantime (2020). The Ombudsman recalls, however, that the Commission is obliged to require, assess and publish the declarations of interest of experts invited in their personal capacity to similar future events.

As regards the allegations concerning the substance of the declaration of interest, namely that it was incomplete and that the Commission failed to assess it for possible conflicts of interest, the Ombudsman found the Commission's assessment to be reasonable.