Ingredient Index

Are Dichlorvos banned in Europe?

Banned in EU

Yes. Dichlorvos (DDVP), an organophosphate insecticide, has not been approved in the EU since 2007. The US kept it registered, and it is still sold in household no-pest strips.

CAS: 62-73-7 Also seen as: Dichlorvos, DDVP, Vapona

What the EU does

Not approved. Commission Decision 2007/387/EC decided not to include dichlorvos on the EU list of approved active substances, and authorizations for products containing it were withdrawn. Under the current framework it cannot be used in EU plant protection products.

Dichlorvos is an organophosphate that works by blocking cholinesterase in the nervous system, and it carries genotoxicity and carcinogenicity concerns alongside the usual acute organophosphate toxicity. For the EU, those were enough to keep it off the market rather than manage it with limits.

Citation Commission Decision 2007/387/EC (non-inclusion of dichlorvos); Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009

What the US does

Registered. The US EPA kept dichlorvos on the market: in 2007 it denied a petition to cancel the chemical, and it remains registered, most visibly in the no-pest resin strips that slowly release vapor into enclosed spaces like sheds, garages, and storage areas.

So a nerve-acting insecticide the EU removed nearly two decades ago is still a consumer product on US shelves, used in exactly the small, enclosed spaces where vapor exposure is highest. The EPA continues its registration review, but the product stays available.

Citation US EPA registered; 2007 EPA denial of petition to cancel DDVP; 40 CFR 180.235 (dichlorvos tolerances)

Products that commonly contain it

Dichlorvos is encountered mainly through:

Household no-pest or insecticide strips sold in the US
Some stored-product and structural pest-control uses
A residue consideration on a few imported commodities

What to look for on a label

On US pest products, dichlorvos is listed as the active ingredient:

Look for "dichlorvos" or "DDVP" on no-pest strip packaging
Follow ventilation and occupancy warnings on any strip product
In the EU, it is not an approved pesticide at all

Or skip the squinting: paste the whole ingredient list into our checker and it flags everything in our database. Nothing you paste leaves your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Is dichlorvos banned in Europe?

Yes, in effect. The EU did not include it on the approved list in 2007 and withdrew product authorizations, so it cannot be used there.

Why is it still sold in the US?

The EPA denied a 2007 petition to cancel it, and it remains registered, including in household no-pest strips.

Where is exposure highest?

In small, enclosed spaces where vapor-releasing strips are used, which is why these products carry ventilation and occupancy warnings.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed October 1, 2026 · How we assign statuses