OTTAWA,
ON, June 17, 2024 /CNW/ - Canadians deserve to
live in a safe and healthy environment. That is why the Government
of Canada is ensuring
transparency, safety and protection of human health and the
environment by developing and implementing pest control product
regulation.
Today, the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health,
announced Health Canada is publishing proposed amendments to the
Pest Control Products Regulations (PCPR) in Canada Gazette,
Part I. These amendments directly respond to input provided by
stakeholders regarding the pesticide review process in Canada. This process began in 2022 with the
targeted review of the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA),
launched to bring strict standards for transparency and
sustainability to pesticides in Canada.
Over the past several years, the Department has been working
alongside key partners to tackle issues related to pesticide
evaluation in Canada, such as the
transparency of the decision-making process and enhancing
environmental protection.
The proposed amendments include the facilitation of access to
confidential test data for Canadians and clarifying the information
needed from applicants to set maximum residue limits (MRLs) on
imported foods. In conjunction with the PCPA, the proposed
amendments would require the Minister of Health to issue a public
notification once an application for an MRL for an imported food
product has been accepted for review. This early notification would
improve transparency and enable better public participation in the
pesticide decision-making process. In addition, the proposed
amendments would provide the Minister with the explicit authority
to require applicants to provide information on both cumulative
effects on the environment and on species at risk.
Ultimately, the proposed amendments would enable easier and more
efficient access to data and information on pesticides for the
public, while facilitating independent research and reanalysis.
These proposed changes to the PCPR complement Health Canada's
recent work to strengthen protection of human health and the
environment, improve transparency, increase public participation,
and boost Canadians' confidence in pesticide regulatory decisions.
Since 2021, Health Canada has implemented several key policy and
operational changes to achieve these goals including post plain
language summaries of key decisions online, disclose the names of
pesticide applicants, and adopt an early public notification
process for MRL applications for imported foods.
Quotes
"These proposed amendments would make the pesticide
decision-making process more transparent. They will also address
important stakeholder feedback and would lead to impactful changes
that will ultimately improve our work, enhance public trust and
help to build a more sustainable future for everyone living in
Canada."
The Honourable Mark Holland
Minister of Health
Quick Facts
- Health Canada published
a Notice of Intent in 2023 that began consultations on
proposed amendments to the Pest Control Products Regulations
(PCPR). These proposed amendments are a result of the 2022
consultations on targeted review of the Pest Control
Products Act.
- New funding was recently announced in Budget 2024 for
Health Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to
receive $39 million over two years to
further strengthen the pesticides regulatory system and monitor and
promote sustainable pesticide use.
- Health Canada also recently
consulted on its proposed
continuous oversight approach – a review of
emerging science on pesticides for timely management of emerging
risks to human and environmental safety.
- Health Canada, Environment and
Climate Change Canada (ECCC), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
(CFIA) and AAFC have been working in collaboration on PMRA's
Transformation Agenda.
- On May 1, 2024, Health Canada
implemented a new public notification process on Maximum Residue
Limits (MRL) applications for pesticide residues on imported food
commodities.
- Health Canada recently updated
the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Environment and
Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and the PMRA. The intent of the MOU,
which replaces a 2003 arrangement, is to further cooperation on
science policy, including cumulative effects on the environment
(CEE) and species at risk (SAR), communication and the exchange of
information within the regulatory decision process.
- The Science Advisory Committee on Pest Control Products
(SAC-PCP) was launched in January
2022 and acts as an external advisory body to the PMRA.
Associated Links
- Information Note – Strengthening Consideration of
Cumulative Effects on the Environment and Species at Risk in PMRA's
Environmental Assessments
- Transforming the Pest Management Regulatory Agency
- Science Advisory Committee on Pest Control Products
- Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides
- MRLs, human health, and food safety: Infographic on MRLs in
Canada
- Confidence in What we Eat Infographic
SOURCE Health Canada (HC)