The responsible management of pesticide residues will remain a challenge for tobacco growers and users as long as tobacco is produced as a commercial crop under the various conditions of climate, agricultural practices and possible infestation by pests. New approaches and improved tools have been developed in recent years, mostly through co-operative efforts of the Industry. Reliable and economical methods for the quantitative determination of pesticide residues on tobacco are the fundamental requirement. The CORESTA Sub-group on Pesticide Residues has now completed their second round of proficiency testing with global participation of industry, commercial and regulatory analytical laboratories. The beneficial effects of this work are already very obvious and are discussed in detail (organizational issues, methodological approach, scope of analytes, analytical performance, and laboratory ratings). For judging the residue data obtained by careful analysis, several criteria need to be considered, which are based on comprehensive knowledge of the national and international regulations and the established rules of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP). CORESTA's Agrochemical Advisory Committee (ACAC) collects and keeps up-to-date information of the registration of chemical compounds for use in tobacco cultivation and on the statutory maximum residue levels (MRLs) on tobacco. A powerful tool, recently developed by ACAC, are the Guidance Residues Levels (GRLs), which are essentially based on GAP, so far available for 99 active ingredients and intended to have strong effects on improving the use of pesticides on tobacco. Valuable information on the actual situation and on trends over time is collected in the Database on Pesticide Residues on Tobacco, which is maintained by the German Cigarette Manufacturers Association (VdC). With regular contributions from several major tobacco dealers and manufacturers, the Database is growing rapidly and provides reliable data, reflecting positive developments in the use of pesticides and any residues resulting on tobacco as well as indicating areas requiring increased attention in terms of testing needs and feedback to growers and dealers. If used in a determined and well considered way, the approaches and tools described put the Industry in a position to manage the problems of pesticide residues on tobacco in a responsible, effective and economical way.