The Advisory Committee on Pesticides provides independent advice to Ministers on matters relating to the regulation and use of pesticides, including applications for approval of new products and reviews of existing approvals. It usually meets in closed session (because of intellectual property and commercial secrecy considerations) approximately six times a year in York.
Those present:
Chairman: Prof J G Ayres
Members: Ms A Baker, Prof C Brown, Dr J Cherrie, Prof G Hawksworth, Prof C V Howard, Ms R Howell, Dr A Leake, Dr G M McPherson, Prof L Maltby, Prof P Matthiessen, Prof C Ockleford. Dr D Osborn, Dr W Parker, Prof J Parry, Dr A Povey, Dr D Ray, Dr H Rees.
Representatives from the following Departments and other organisations were present: The Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD ), Health & Safety Executive (HSE ), Food Standards Agency (FSA), Health Protection Agency (HPA), Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), National Assembly of Wales Agriculture Department (NAWAD), Natural England (NE).
Mr P Jarvis, a farmer and head of a container recycling organisation attended the meeting to present Item 8 of the Agenda.
The Chairman welcomed four new Members to the Committee whose term of office commenced on 1st January 2008
At its meeting on 29th January 2008 , the Committee discussed the following issues:
1. Minutes and Detailed record of discussion
1.1 a) 328th Meeting: Minutes [ACP 1 (329/2008)]
1.1.1 Agreed as drafted (link to minutes of 328th meeting)
1.2 b) 328th Meeting: Detailed record of discussion [ACP 2 (329/2008)]
1.2.1 Agreed subject to minor amendment
1.3 c) Record of the ACP Open Meeting 2007 [ACP 16 (329/2008)]
1.3.1 Agreed as drafted
2. Agenda Item 2: Secretary’s report. [ACP 3 (329/2008)]
The Secretary to the Committee reported on the recommendations made at previous meetings
3. Agenda Item 3: Matters arising
3.1 a) NEMguard [ACP 26 (329/2008)]
3.1.1 Members heard that the applicant had appealed against the ACP conclusion at the 328th meeting (link to minutes of ACP 328) that it was inappropriate to recommend approval of this or any other pesticide product in the absence of clear evidence of its efficacy.
3.1.2 Members considered the applicant’s correspondence, but agreed that there was no information presented in the case made that would support a change in the previous conclusion. Members discussed whether an appropriate label warning could be proposed and allow the general market to decide on efficacy, but the Committee agreed that currently there was not enough information available to assist a user in making decisions. The ACP also noted the general principle enshrined in legislation that no chemical should be released into the environment without evidence of its benefit. Members suggested some approaches that might be adopted for future trials and offered to advise on protocols if required.
3.2 b) Ipconazole [ACP 18 (329/2008)]
3.2.1 Members noted the progress made in resolving the outstanding issues identified at the previous meeting
3.3 c) Amisulbrom [ACP 27 (329/20080]
3.3.1 The Committee heard that following discussion at the 325th Meeting of the ACP, the applicant had provided a confirmatory study on genotoxicity
3.3.2 Members agreed that the study confirmed a lack of genotoxicity, and that the current provisional approval should continue.
3.4 d) Other Matters Arising [ACP 5 (328/2007)]
3.4.1 The Secretary asked Members’ views on the format and content of the 2007 Annual Report, and advised on the minimum requirements that are set out in legislation. In accordance with the ACP wish that a more reader friendly approach is adopted, Members agreed that the Report should include a section on what the ACP is, and what its work involves, and information about the year’s work including three case studies detailing discussions on IPU, Chlorpropham and Candida.
3.4.2 Members were updated on matters arising from previous meetings.
4. Application for Provisional approval of Envidor containing spirodiclofen as a horticultural inseticide and acaricides for use on apples and pears [ACP 10 (329/2008)]
One member declared a non-personal specific interest and took no part in the discussion of this item.
4.1 Spirodiclofen is new acaricide for use in horticultural crops. It is currently under evaluation in the EU with the Netherlands as the lead (rapporteur) Member State. Approval has been requested for use on apples and pears. This application was previously considered by the ACP in March 2007 (meeting 324)
4.2 Members welcomed the work carried out by PSD in drawing together the toxicological data and including the new data that had been provided.
4.3 The Committee agreed that they were content that most points had now been resolved but that they needed to consider two further points in more detail outside the meeting.
4.4 It was agreed that provided these issues had been satisfactorily resolved, provisional approval could be recommended without the application returning again to a full meeting.
5. Application for the approval of Emerger containing aclonifen as a agricultural herbicide for use on sunflowers [ACP 11 (329/2008)]
5.1 Members considered an application for the approval of Emerger containing aclonifen as an agricultural herbicide for use on sunflowers. Aclonifen is a herbicide which has never been approved in the UK but is approved in a number of other EU Member States. It is currently under review in the EU with Germany as the lead or ‘rapporteur’ Member State. This application has been made by the company for UK approval, prior to an EU decision on Annex I inclusion.
5.2 Members considered that further clarification of the aquatic risk assessment was required as there was uncertainty both about the derivation of the predicted exposure and of the interpretation of the data on possible effects.
5.3 Members also identified a need for further clarification of the mammalian metabolism of the compound.
5.4 The Committee agreed that these issues may be able to be resolved by correspondence. Dialogue between Members and PSD would continue in an attempt to resolve outstanding concerns before approval can be considered, and the Committee would be kept informed of progress.
6. Draft CIPC Stewardship Plan – Chlorpropham [ACP 14 (329/2008)]
One member declared a non-personal specific interest and took no part in the discussion of this item.
6.1 Members heard that, following on from advice given at the 328th Meeting, the industry had responded quickly, and had taken immediate action in forming a stewardship group and amending labels.
6.2 The ACP welcomed this very positive response from the applicants and agreed that subject to the stewardship programme continuing in a positive way, that approvals under COPR and PPPR could continue, in accordance with the restrictions agreed at the previous meeting.
7. EU Procedures Update [ACP 7 (329/2008)]
7.1 Members received a presentation detailing changes in European procedures for the approval and re-registration of active substances that were designed to ensure completion of the review process by the end of 2008.
7.2 The Committee recognised the challenging nature of the EC proposals, and stressed the need for careful consideration of important gaps in pest control for both major and minor crops that may result from the review process.
8. Problems over recycling of pesticides containers [ACP 8 (329/200)]
8.1 The Chairman welcomed Mr P Jarvis who gave a short presentation demonstrating the problems of recycling pesticide containers. Members heard that farmers are no longer allowed to burn containers and that the environment agency had agreed that (following triple rinsing) clean empty containers no longer had to be considered hazardous waste and could be recycled.
8.2 Members noted the practical difficulties encountered in the recycling process some of which could be related to container design. They agreed that there was a need to improve the rate at which containers are recycled, whilst keeping operator exposure to a minimum.
8.3 The Committee asked PSD to report back to the next Meeting on current guidance on container design, in order to consider amendments to encourage the use of recycling initiatives.
9. Estimating the prevalence and incidence of pesticide-related illness presented to General Practitioners in Great Britain [ACP 17 (329/2008)]
9.1 Members noted that this research report would be published by the HSE in February 2008.
9.2 Members heard some of the difficulties encountered in undertaking this research and agreed that reports from GPs would not be an appropriate method of monitoring possible ill health associated with pesticide exposure..
9.3 Members noted that the paper did provide some evidence of public concern about possible health effects following exposure to pesticides, but despite the very large sample of GP consultations involved in the study, this was restricted to very low numbers
9.4 The ACP agreed that as the paper was likely to be of wider interest they would publish a response to the research at the time of its publication.
10. IGHRC Draft Guidance Document ‘Chemical Mixtures: A Framework for Assessing Risks’ [ACP 20 (329/2008)]
10.1 Members welcomed this draft guidance from the Interdepartmental Group on Health Risks from Chemicals.
10.2 Although Members agreed that this was a well written document, they identified some potential gaps in coverage. Members would send further written comments to the Secretariat, and these would be co-ordinated into an agreed Committee response.
11. Updated Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees [ACP 20 (329/2008)]
11.1 Members noted a revised version of the Government Office for Science Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees.
12 Date of Next Meeting
12.1 Tuesday 11th March 2008 , commencing 11.00am , at the Monk Bar Hotel, York.
13 Any Other Business
13.1 Members considered the items for information received since the last meeting.
J G Ayres
/2008
