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 Cocker; Prof G Hawksworth; Ms R Howell; Dr A Leake; Dr G M McPherson; Prof P Matthiessen; Prof C Ockleford; Dr D Osborn; Dr W Parker; Prof J Parry; Dr A Povey; Dr D Ray; Dr S Waring
Apologies: Dr C Harris; Dr H Rees
Written comments received from: Dr C Harris
Representatives from the following Departments and other organisations were present: The Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Health & Safety Executive (HSE), Food Standards Agency (FSA); Health Protection Agency (HPA).
At its meeting on 10 November 2009, the Committee discussed the following issues:
1. Agenda Item 1: Minutes and Detailed record of discussion
1.1 a) 339th Meeting: Minutes [ACP 1 (340/2009)]
1.1.1 Agreed as drafted. (link to minutes of 339th meeting)
1.2 b) 339th Meeting: Detailed record of discussion [ACP 2 (340/2009)]
1.2.1 Agreed as drafted.
2. Agenda Item 2: Secretary’s report. [ACP 3 (340/2009)]
2.1 The Secretary to the Committee reported on the recommendations made at previous meetings. Members agreed a minor change suggested by Defra making their advice on bixafen more transparent in line with the discussion and advice given at the last meeting.
3. Agenda Item 3: Matters arising
3.1 (a) Diflubenzuron [ACP 15 (340/2009)]
3.1.1 One Member declared a non-personal, non-specific interest in written comments.
3.1.2 Members agreed advice from the Committee on Mutagenicity (COM) on data requirements to clarify genotoxicity of the metabolite PCA. It was agreed that the data requirements for diflubenzuron for these and in-vitro metabolism studies should be set with a one year deadline.
3.2 (b) Letter from COT – Bystander and resident exposure to pesticides [ACP 15 (340/2009)]
3.2.1 The ACP heard that the Committee on Toxicity (COT) had agreed to join the suggested joint working group, with four of their Members to serve alongside four Members of the ACP. The ACP Chairman would chair the group, and detailed terms of reference and the first meeting would be arranged by March 2010.
3.3 c) Other Matters Arising [ACP 5 (340/2009)]
3.3.1 The Secretary reported on matters arising from previous meetings.
4. Agenda Item 4: Application for first inclusion of isopyrazam (ISO proposed) in Annex I of 91/414/EEC and for UK provisional approval (PPPR), in the product ‘A15149W’ formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate containing 125 g a.s/L isopyrazam [ACP 6 (340/2009)]
4.1 Three Members declared non-personal, non-specific interests, and one declared a non-personal, non-specific interest in written comments.
4.2 In a wide ranging discussion, Members noted differences in toxicity of the two isomers, and sought clarification on the technical specification that the applicant wishes to support. It was noted that critical areas of testing had used a lower ratio of the possibly more toxic isomer than the level proposed in the technical specification. The ACP agreed that additional information would be required in order to support this technical specification. However it was possible that the applicant would wish to amend the technical specification, but this would depend upon manufacturing capability.
4.3 The ACP considered that when this additional information is available, it would then be possible to identify any potential data gaps that need to be filled in order to complete the risk assessment.
5. Agenda Item 5: The Open Meeting – Feedback and discussion [ACP 13 (340/2009)]
5.1 Members agreed that the 10th Annual ACP Open Meeting held the previous day had been well organised, and that the presentations and workshop discussions had been well received.
5.2 The Committee noted the common ideas from the afternoon workshop sessions, and agreed that these should be widely disseminated via the website, the Chief Scientist’s food partnership and strategy groups, the living with environmental change programme, Defra food policy departments, Research Councils, MEPs and, to the Department for Innovation in order to consider skills gaps.
6. Agenda Item 6: Report from the Medical and Toxicology Panel [ACP 7 (340/2009)]
6.1 The Committee received a report on discussions from the 36th Meeting of the Medical and Toxicology Panel held on 1st October 2009.
6.2 The Chairman of the Panel drew particular attention to the difficulties in human health monitoring data caused by products carrying similar names but with different formulations. Members heard that CRD had limited powers over product naming, and agreed this matter should be considered by the new pesticides incidents reports working group.
7. Agenda Item 7: Report from the Environmental Panel [ACP 8 (340/2009)]
7.1 The Chairman of the Environmental Panel presented a report on discussions from the 105th Meeting, held on 6th October 2009.
7.2 The ACP noted that there is a need to consider surface run off as a route of exposure for surface water, and heard that FOCUS, amended to account for UK conditions, provides an appropriate method. CRD will consider risk mitigation and implementation procedures.
7.3 Members heard that CRD is commissioning a literature study on guttation as a route of exposure to systemic pesticides for bees and other non-target organisms.
8. Agenda Item 10: Date of Next Meeting
8.1 ACP 341 on Tuesday 26 January 2010, commencing 11.00am, at Foss House, York.
9. Any Other Business
9.1 The Chairman formally thanked those Members retiring from the ACP at the end of 2009 for their significant contributions to the Committee.
9.2 The ACP considered items for inclusion in the 2009 Annual Report, and agreed that case studies on aminopyralid, bixafen, and pesticides and bees should be included. Members agreed that an updated version of the ACP guide to pesticide regulation should form an annex to future reports, and link directly to appropriate points on the website.
9.3 Members noted the findings a paper on a prospective cohort study of sheep-dip exposure and ‘dipper’s flu’ that self reported symptoms did not correlate with objective exposure methods.
9.4 The Committee considered the items for information received since the last meeting.
J G Ayres
