Introduction

Classes and uses of pesticides

Legal framework

Approval Levels

Scientific information in the regulatory process.

Risk Assessment Process

Constitution and function of the various organisations

Management of pesticides in the future.

Ministers and Minutes....

The ACP does not have the final say in decisions on approvals. Decisions are taken by Ministers, who take advice from the ACP. Nevertheless, the ACP’s recommendations to Ministers are extremely important. As with other aspects of health and safety, Government policy is that decisions on pesticides must be based on sound science.

Under the arrangements for the assessment and review of pesticide active substances in Europe, certain important parts of the scientific risk assessment (e.g. the ADI and AOEL) will be agreed for the Union as a whole. Although not part of our statutory duty, the ACP is also involved in advising on the scientific issues affecting decisions on inclusion of active substances in Annex I of directive 91/414/EEC. It is important that these decisions should be based on sound science as they will form the basis for any approval of products in the UK that contain the active substance in question.

As well as advising on the risk assessment and regulation of specific pesticides, the ACP also addresses more generic issues concerning pesticides and their safety (More)

Minutes

At present ACP meetings are not routinely open to the public. This is because part of the material discussed is commercially secret and cannot legally be divulged to the public. However, the agenda and minutes of each meeting are published on the Internet. Also, since 2000 the Committee has held an annual open meeting at which members of the public can raise and discuss matters relating to the regulation of pesticides that concern them.

Panels

To assist in its work the ACP has two expert panels. In addition to some members from the ACP, these panels also include outside experts, representatives of industry, trade unions and consumer groups, and lay members. A full list of members is published in each ACP annual report. Some issues are referred to them by the ACP and others are brought forward by the regulatory departments or the members themselves. The main output from the panels is in the form of reports to the ACP, which may then feed into the regulatory process.