The approaches to the environmental and occupational health regulation of pesticides vary from country to country. This paper looks at some of those approaches with particular reference to the UK. In the UK, control standards for certain pesticides are significantly less stringent than elsewhere in Western Europe and indeed the Americas. The reasons for these differences are examined, with examples given of the more cautious approaches and the wider control philosophies adopted outside the UK. UK pesticide legislation is set in an international context. Alternative strategies for regulating UK pesticides are outlined and new policy options presented.