Research activities relating to the authorization of plant-protection products
The European Commission (DG VI - Agriculture) is interested in obtaining proposals for the further coordination of the review programme for existing and new plant-protection products (started in September 1996), in the context of Council Directive 91/414/EEC concerning the placing of plant-protection products on the market, and Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3600/92 laying down the detailed rules for the first stage of the re-evaluation programme provided for in the Directive. The work will involve organizing, chairing and reporting on meetings of a highly technical and scientific nature with experts of the competent authorities of the Member States and will require a significant scientific and technical input into these meetings. The aim of the work will be threefold: - To develop two guideline documents concerning the evaluation of plant-protection products; - To peer review with experts of the competent authorities of the 15 Member States a minimum of 24 and a maximum of 30 reports from "rapporteur" Member States in order to prepare the necessary technical and scientific dossiers for the decision-making procedure in the standing committee on plant health. The following technical disciplines will be covered: - Physical, chemical and biological properties; - Agricultural practice; - Toxicological impact on human and animal health; - Estimation of residues in food and feed; - Fate and behaviour in the environment; - Effects on non-target species; - Methods of analysis; - Classification and labelling. The services provided will be directly used in the further decision-making process on active substances and plant-protection products. They will involve activities on information on which the Commission and the Member States have to ensure confidentiality and data protection. Of the candidates meeting the selection criteria, up to seven will be invited to tender. The work in question needs to be started as soon as possible, since reports from rapporteur Member States are, and will continue, arriving in the Commission and require urgently to be peer reviewed in order to permit the Commission to finalize decision-making on these substances, in view of their (continued) placing on the market. Requests to participate in this restricted invitation to tender should be sent to: European Commission DG VI - Agriculture Unit VI/B-II.1 200 rue de la Loi (L84 1/10) Dr. G. Hudson B-1049 Brussels Tel. +32-2-2956051; Fax +32-2-2965963