What question did this study set out to answer?

The research aims to explore how international trade influences the adoption of pesticide Maximum Residue Limits across countries.

April 24, 2026Open Access

Regulatory Influence and the International Diffusion of Pesticide Standards

Key Points

The research aims to explore how international trade influences the adoption of pesticide Maximum Residue Limits across countries.
Constructed a dataset combining national MRL regulations and trade flows.
Developed a measure of regulatory distance among countries.
Analyzed the relationship between trade intensity and regulatory similarity.
Countries with higher trade intensity exhibit more similar pesticide regulation standards.
Evidence suggests that trade-driven factors contribute to regulatory convergence in the agri-food sector.
Regulatory diffusion is influenced by market access and trade relationships.

Abstract

Abstract This paper provides new empirical evidence on the international diffusion of sanitary standards, focusing on pesticide Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) in the agri-food sector. We construct a novel dataset combining detailed information on national MRL regulations with bilateral trade flows and develop a measure of regulatory distance across countries. We show that countries trading more intensively tend to exhibit more similar regulatory standards, providing evidence of trade-driven regulatory convergence. This relationship is consistent with mechanisms of regulatory diffusion driven by market access and trade linkages. Citation Disdier, A.-C., Emlinger, C., & Kollegger-Steger, R. (2026). Regulatory Influence and the International Diffusion of Pesticide Standards. BrightSpace Horizon Europe project GA Nr. 101060075. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19685974----------------- Funding acknowledgement Funded by the European Union. Grant Agreement No. 101060075. Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. Legal notice This document was produced under the terms and conditions of Grant Agreement No. 101060075 for the European Commission. It does not necessary reflect the view of the European Union and in no way anticipates the Commission’s future policy in this area. The European Commission is not liable for any consequence stemming from the reuse of this publication. © BrightSpace, 2026 The reuse of this document is authorised under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CCBY 4.0) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This means that reuse is allowed provided appropriate credit is given and any changes are indicated. For any use or reproduction of elements that are not owned by the BrightSpace consortium, permission may need to be sought directly from the respective right holders. Project information BrightSpace Horizon Europe project Grant Agreement No. 101060075 https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101060075 CALL: Innovative governance, environmental observations and digital solutions in support of the Green Deal WORK PROGRAMME Topic ID: HORIZON-CL6-2021-GOVERNANCE-01-12 EU agriculture within a safe and just operating space and planetary boundaries BrightSpace Project coordination: Wageningen Economic Research, The Hague, NL Contact: brightspace.wser@wur.nl | Website: www.brightspace-project.eu Project duration: 1 November 2022 – 31 October 2027.

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