Ingredient Index
Is Phorate banned in Europe?
Yes. Phorate, an acutely toxic organophosphate, is not approved in the EU and is listed under the Rotterdam Convention for prior informed consent. The US keeps it as a restricted-use insecticide.
What the EU does
Not approved. Phorate was one of the organophosphates the EU declined to include on its approved list in the early-2000s review, and product authorizations were withdrawn. It has no legal plant-protection use in the EU.
Phorate is highly acutely toxic, and in 2019 it was added to Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention, meaning international shipments require the importing country prior informed consent. That listing is a marker of how hazardous the global community considers it.
Citation Phorate not approved under Reg (EC) No 1107/2009; withdrawal under Commission Reg (EC) No 2076/2002; Rotterdam Convention Annex III listing (2019)
What the US does
Registered as a restricted-use pesticide. Phorate is a soil and systemic insecticide used on crops such as corn, potatoes, and cotton. Its restricted-use classification reflects its acute toxicity, limiting application to certified handlers.
The EPA has reviewed phorate repeatedly and tightened some uses, but it remains registered and legal in the US, another older organophosphate that Europe cleared out years ago while America kept a narrower set of uses on the books.
Citation US EPA registered (restricted-use); phorate registration review docket; 40 CFR 180.206 (tolerances)
Products that commonly contain it
Phorate is a farm insecticide, present through use rather than labeling:
- US corn and potato production
- Cotton and some other field crops
- Handled only by certified applicators as a restricted-use product
- Imported crops checked at the EU border, where it is not allowed
What to look for on a label
As a restricted-use soil insecticide, phorate is not visible on food packaging:
- Organic production does not use synthetic organophosphate insecticides
- Its main hazards are to applicators and via residues, not through the label
- In the EU, its absence reflects non-approval and a global PIC listing
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Frequently asked questions
Is phorate banned in Europe?
Yes, in effect. It is not approved as a pesticide in the EU, so it has no legal plant-protection use there.
What is the Rotterdam Convention listing?
In 2019 phorate was added to Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention, so international trade in it requires the importing country to give prior informed consent.
Is phorate still used in the US?
Yes, as a restricted-use pesticide on crops like corn, potatoes, and cotton, handled only by certified applicators.
Related ingredients
Related reading
Primary sources
- EU Pesticides Database: phorate (not approved)
- Rotterdam Convention: phorate (Annex III)
- US EPA: phorate
Last reviewed August 25, 2026 · How we assign statuses