24 October 2013: The ninth ordinary meeting of the Chemical Review Committee (CRC) of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (CRC 9) finished preparing the proposal for listing one chemical under the PIC procedure and began the preparatory process for another, while also deciding that fenthion 640 ULV meets the criteria for listing as a severely hazardous pesticide formulation (SHPF).

CRC 9 convened from 22-24 October 2013, in Rome, Italy.

CRC 9 adopted the draft decision guidance document (DGD) on trichlorfon that had been prepared intersessionally since CRC 8, with minor amendments, and forwarded it to the Conference of the Parties (COP) for its consideration. CRC 9 decided that the notifications of final regulatory action submitted by Brazil and the EU on methamidophos meet the listing criteria set out in the Convention, approved the draft decision and rationale for listing, and decided to prepare a draft DGD for approval at CRC 10. They also agreed that a proposal by Chad to list fenthion 640 ULV meets all the Convention criteria for listing SHPFs, and decided to prepare a draft DGD for consideration at CRC 10.

The CRC also decided: the additional information submitted by Japan in support of its notification of final regulatory action for pentachlorobenzene did not help the notification meet all criteria for listing; Peru’s notification on lead arsenate meets the criteria for listing, but no further action will be taken until a second notification from another PIC region is found to meet listing criteria; neither Jordan’s nor Latvia’s notification on lead carbonate meet listing criteria; and Brazil’s notification on cyhexatin does not meet all listing criteria, so no further action would be taken on that chemical at this time.

The Committee also requested the Secretariat to prepare an electronic handbook, to be eventually available online, of Committee procedures and guidance, to be considered at CRC 10.

CRC 9 was preceded by a joint meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC) of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and CRC, on 20 October 2013. [IISD RS Meeting Coverage] [Meeting Website] [Meeting Documents][Chemicals and Wastes Policy & Practice news on Joint Meeting]