5th Meeting of the Panel on General Standards on Efficacy Evaluation
Paris, 2005-03-02/03
The emphasis at this meeting was to finalize the standards on Dose expression of plant protection products, Effects of plant protection products on transformation processes and Taint tests with plant protection products. All three were considered ready to be presented to the Working Party on Plant Protection Products for approval.
The Panel examined criteria for comparability of climates for the purpose of exchange of efficacy evaluation data. A draft standard was considered ready to enter the consultative phase and will be sent to EPPO member countries for comment.
If no major comments are raised, it will be also sent to the Working Party for approval. An article prepared by Mr E. Bouma, of the Dutch NPPO, which is about to be published in Bulletin OEPP/EPPO Bulletin, complements the draft standard. It reviews the scientific basis for zoning and proposes a set of zones within the EPPO region based on an understanding of how climate affects crop and pest development. The Secretariat took the responsibility to prepare a new map of zones.
The Panel also took note of the progress made in revising Standard PP1/152 Design and analysis of efficacy evaluation trials, which should be presented to the next Panel meeting. The new draft standard on Effects on Adjacent crops, prepared by the Panel on Efficacy Evaluation for Herbicides and Plant Growth Regulators, was presented for information. The Panel was also informed on the EU project on extrapolation of efficacy and crop safety trials data, particularly in relation to extending uses of plant protection products to minor crops. The project is led by the UK Pesticide Safety Directorate.
Thanks are due to the French Ministry of Agriculture in Paris for hosting the meeting and to Mr Malet for making the local arrangements. The Panel will next meet on 1-2 March 2005, at a venue still to be defined.