More tons of glyphosate have disappeared: "There are very large quantities of pesticides that the authorities have no control over."

"Completely crazy," "hopeless," and "decades of neglect." These are some of the comments made by the state auditors Mette Abildgaard (K) and Lars Chr. Lilleholt (V) regarding the Danish Environmental Agency's inadequate control of pesticides over several years. The comments were made at a press conference where the new report from the National Audit Office on the authorities' pesticide control was presented. And there was not much positive to be found for the highest responsible authority in the area. The state auditors describe the agency's control as "highly concerning" and "completely insufficient," stating in their remarks: "The report gives the impression of a control system that does not work at all. There are very large quantities of pesticides that the authorities have no oversight of, and the control is almost entirely based on information reported by the companies themselves. This completely inadequate control can contribute to there being far too many pesticides in our drinking water and food. The National Audit Office finds this deeply concerning." The Rigsrevisionen's (National Audit Office) criticism scale ranges from 1 to 5, where 5 is the highest—and rarely used—and in this case, the criticism reaches the second-highest level, described as sharp criticism. 7,800 tons of glyphosate have disappeared One example in the report concerns glyphosate, which accounts for about 40% of all pesticide sales in Denmark. Since 2011, 7,800 tons of glyphosate have been purchased but not reported to the Environmental Agency as used. This amount is nearly half of the total purchases during that period. However, the Environmental Agency has not investigated where the 7,800 tons have gone, and since 2018, according to the National Audit Office, the agency has known that not all pesticide use is reported. "It seems completely hopeless," said Mette Abildgaard at the press conference, according to TV 2. The report also points to a number of issues that together make it difficult for the control to detect violations: companies can delete or correct their reports on pesticide use or omit information, and the Environmental Agency does not verify them. Therefore, the agency does not know whether the information is accurate. "It's just completely crazy," said Mette Abildgaard at the press conference, while Lars Chr. Lilleholt called it "decades of neglect" and added: "That's why we take it very seriously." Easily exempt from control During inspections, the agency almost exclusively relies on companies' own spray journals. The consequence, as described by the National Audit Office, is that an inspector who finds a half-empty drum of an illegal pesticide at the site cannot prove illegal use if the substance is not recorded in the journal. Between 2022 and 2025, the Environmental Agency has only tested for four types of illegal pesticides in its samples, even though hundreds of substances are banned. Companies that have stated they do not use pesticides at all have been completely exempt from control. Thus, the Environmental Agency has not ensured that all companies have a certain probability of being selected for inspection. Until spring 2025, the agency refrained from checking violations reported by companies themselves. This was in violation of the chemical law. The National Audit Office criticizes that the agency has, in several cases, managed in breach of the law, and finds it concerning that the agency has not been sufficiently familiar with the legal framework it is supposed to administer. Increasing pesticide detections The Environmental Agency also does not select companies for control based on a risk assessment, even though EU's control regulation requires it, and even though the agency has information from companies about illegal use. Finally, it appears that the Agency for Green Land Reclamation and Water, which conducts the controls for the Environmental Agency, has repeatedly since 2020 proposed controls where companies' purchases, use, and stockpiles are cross-checked. The Environmental Agency has not responded to these proposals. "The consequence of the Danish Ministry of Environment's completely inadequate control is that illegal pesticides or excessive amounts of approved pesticides can seep into groundwater or remain in food products, harming the environment and health," writes the National Audit Office. The criticism comes at a time when pesticide detections in drinking water are increasing. According to the remarks from the National Audit Office, the pesticide levels in Danish drinking water wells have been rising since 2018, and in 2025, pesticide residues were found in over half of the wells. More and more water supply companies have to dilute groundwater with pesticide residues before it can be distributed as drinking water. However, it should be noted that testing for more pesticides than before has also begun. Environment Minister Maria Reumert Gjerding (SF) states in a press release that she takes the criticism very seriously: "When control fails, there is a risk that illegal or improper use of pesticides goes undetected, which can have consequences for the environment and human health. Therefore, the next Pesticide Strategy must be ambitious and follow up on the National Audit Office's criticism. It is crucial that the authorities' control is an effective safeguard against the use of illegal pesticides, that approved substances are used according to regulations, and that usage is reported correctly."