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: Prof C Brown; Dr J Cocker; Dr C Harris; Prof G Hawksworth; Dr A Leake; Dr G M McPherson; Prof P Matthiessen; Prof C Ockleford; Dr W Parker; Dr A Povey; Dr D Ray; Dr S Waring
Apologies: Prof J Parry; Dr H Rees
Written comments received from: Prof J Parry; Dr H Rees; Health Protection Agency (HPA)
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); Welsh Assembly Government (WAG); Science & Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA).
At its meeting on 26 January 2010, the Committee discussed the following issues:
1. Agenda Item 1: Minutes and Detailed record of discussion
1.1 a) 340th Meeting: Minutes [ACP 1 (341/2010)]
1.1.1 Agreed as drafted, subject to a minor amendment. (link to minutes of 340th meeting)
1.2 b) 340th Meeting: Detailed record of discussion [ACP 2 (341/2010)]
1.2.1 Agreed as drafted, subject to minor amendments to three paragraphs.
1.3 c) Open Meeting 9 November 2009: Notes and common themes from workshop discussions [ACP16 (341/2010)]
1.3.1 Agreed as drafted subject to a minor amendment to the common themes report.
2. Agenda Item 2: Secretary’s report. [ACP 3 (341/2010)]
2.1 The Secretary to the Committee reported on the recommendations made at previous meetings.
3. Agenda Item 3: Matters arising
3.1 a) Chlorpropham [ACP 14 (341/2010)]
3.1.1 One Member declared a personal specific interest and left the Meeting for the discussion of this item
3.1.2 Members received a paper detailing an update on the stewardship programme. The Committee noted good progress and agreed that the programme was an excellent example of how the regulatory process and industry can work together to deliver results.
3.1.3 It was agreed that the Chairman of the stewardship group should be invited to the 344th Meeting of the ACP in June to present a report of its work.
3.2 b) Isopyrazam [ACP 12 (341/2010)]
3.2.1 Four Members declared non-personal, non-specific interests
3.2.2 Members received additional information requested at the 340th Meeting. They agreed that reference doses could be set as proposed by the applicant, based on additional adjustments to correct for the isomeric ratio of the active substance compared to that tested.
3.2.3 The Committee requested that this approach to dealing with such uncertainty should be identified as a point of consideration during the EU peer review process. Further information was provided to justify the choice of residue definition and level of MRL for products of animal origin.
3.2.4 It was agreed to recommend that provisional approval should be granted in the UK.
3.3 c) Comments from Approval Holder for Bixafen on the Detailed Record for the 339th Meeting of the ACP [ACP 22 (341/2010)]
3.3.1 Members agreed to a small change in the wording in item 6.6 of the Detailed Record for ACP 339, following comments from the approval holder.
3.3 d) Other Matters Arising [ACP 5 (341/2010)]
3.3.1 The Secretary reported on matters arising from previous meetings.
4. Agenda Item 4: Pesticides Incidents Report (PIAP) [ACP 7 (341/2010)]
4.1 The Committee considered the annual PIAP report and noted improvements in the data recorded following earlier discussions with the Chairman of PIAP.
5. Agenda Item 5: National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) Report 2008/09 and provisional report April to June 2009 [ACP 11 (341/2009)]
5.1 Members welcomed the annual report from the National Poisons Information Service, agreeing that it provided reassuring data. However, they noted that the low response rate made it difficult to obtain full data.
5.2 Further recommendations were made for consideration by the Pesticides Adverse Health Surveillance Working Group (formerly known as PIRWG).
6. Agenda Item 6: Human Health Enquiry & Incident Survey 2008 [ACP 15 (341/2010)]
6.1 Members received this report, and noted that health related data levels were similar to the previous years’ reports.
7. Agenda Item 7: Report from the Pesticides Adverse Health Effect Surveillance Working Group (formerly known as PIRWG) [ACP 17 (341/2010)]
7.1 The Chairman gave a short report of discussions from the first meeting of the Working Group.
8 Agenda Item 8: Correspondence from IBMA [ACP 18 (341/2010)]
8.1 Members discussed a letter from the International Biocontrol Manufacturers’ Association expressing industry concerns about the widespread use of systemic insecticides and the potential impact for the biocontrol manufacturing industry and the environment.
8.2 The Committee agreed that the environmental risk assessments in the regulatory process had been found to be acceptable, and that concerns about the possible impact on the manufacturing industry were a commercial issue.
8.3 The Secretariat would draft a response, which would be agreed by email with the Chairman and Environmental Members.
9 Agenda Item 9: Draft Annual Report 2009 [ACP 19 (341/2010)]
9.1 Members made suggestions for amendments to the draft presented to ensure that the report provided a fuller picture of the work undertaken in each of the cases presented in the report.
9.2 Discussion and further amendments would continue by email with a view to providing a further draft to the March meeting.
10 Government Office (GO) for Science Consultation on scientific analysis in policy making [ACP 9 (341/2010)]
10.1 Members discussed this consultation and agreed that a response from the Committee was appropriate.
10.2 They discussed points to be included in the reply which would be drafted by the Secretariat.
11. Agenda Item 10: Date of Next Meeting
11.1 ACP 342 on Tuesday 16 March 2010, commencing 11.00am, at Foss House, York.
12. Any Other Business
12.1 Natural England asked that the Buglife Report and ACP response [ACP 6 (341/2010)] be referred back to the Environment Panel for further consideration of the points raised by the Committee.
12.2 Members considered the items for information received since the last meeting.
J G Ayres
