Re-evaluation Note REV2022-01, Pest Management Regulatory Agency Re-evaluation and Special Review Work Plan 2022-2027

Pest Management Regulatory Agency
6 May 2022
ISSN: 1925-0649 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-5/2022-1E-PDF (PDF version)

Table of contents

• Background
• Part A – Current re-evaluation and special review work plan (Tables 1–2)
  • Part A, Table 1 Targets for consultation and final decisions of special reviews
  • Part A, Table 2a Targets for consultation and final re-evaluation decisions
  • Part A, Table 2b Status of other active ingredients (currently in early part of re-evaluation process)
• Part B – Future re-evaluation initiations (re-evaluation initiations anticipated between April 2022 and March 2027)
  • Part B, Table 1 Future re-evaluation initiations between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2027

Background

The purpose of this document is to inform registrants, pesticide regulatory officials and the Canadian public of the re-evaluation and special review work planned by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2027.

This work plan includes the proposed and final decisions published since 1 April 2022, all open re-evaluations and special reviews, as well as new re-evaluations expected to be initiated in this time frame (1 April 2022 to 31 March 2027). This document presents updates to the information last published in Re-evaluation Note REV2021-03, Pest Management Regulatory Agency Re‑evaluation and Special Review Work Plan 2021-2026.

Health Canada regulates pesticides in Canada, with the primary objective of protecting the health of Canadians and the environment. A pesticide may only be sold or used in Canada if it has been registered or otherwise authorized under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act. Health Canada uses a rigorous science-based risk assessment approach to ensure that the product meets health and environmental protection standards and has value.

As part of the post-market program, registered pesticides are re-evaluated on a cyclical basis to determine their continued acceptability. Pesticides may also be re-evaluated as a result of changes in the information required or the procedures used by Health Canada to determine that the pesticide meets current health, environment and value standards.

The re-evaluation process is described in Regulatory Directive DIR2016-04, Management of Pesticides Re-evaluation Policy. In addition, a special review may be initiated at any time if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the health or environmental risks, or the value of a pesticide, are no longer acceptable. Special reviews differ from re-evaluation in that a special review is intended to examine only specific aspects of a pesticide. Additional information on special reviews can be found in the Guidance Document, Approach to Special Reviews of Pesticides.

As required under the Pest Control Products Act, Health Canada publishes all post-market proposed decisions for public consultation. Following consultation, comments and information submitted by the public and other stakeholders are considered before Health Canada issues a final decision. Stakeholders are encouraged to stay informed of upcoming consultations, and new initiations, for active ingredients by visiting the Pesticides section of Canada.ca.

This five-year work plan may change in response to workload and emerging issues that require priority action. While this work plan will be updated annually, during the course of the year interested stakeholders can monitor the PMRA’s Public Registry to view the announcement of new re-evaluations and special reviews, as well as the publication of proposed and final decisions.

Part A – Current re-evaluation and special review work plan (Tables 1–2)

The post-market review program workload remains significant, surpassing existing resources and increasing. In response, Health Canada is developing new and modern approaches for pesticide evaluations that will support a sustainable program that maintains Canada’s high standards of environmental and human health protection and will improve its timely science-based decisions.

As part of its Transformation Agenda (PMRA-Transformation), Health Canada will continue its work in 2022 to modernize business processes to strengthen human health and environmental protection through a continuous oversight and a proportional risk-based approach, as opposed to the current point-in-time model. Modernization efforts will result in increased efficiency, transparency and timely decisions. As part of this new approach, the Department will increase its use of real world data (related to pesticide use and water monitoring), and independent scientific advice to better inform its evidence-based decisions on pesticides.

Re-evaluations for the remaining legacy pesticides, that is, older pesticide active ingredients registered before 1995, and older special reviews, continue to be prioritized for completion. In recent years, as Health Canada has focussed its resources on the review of these priority chemicals, reviews of many of the cyclical re-evaluations were paused. The number of re-evaluation initiations currently required as per the 15-year legislative requirement continues to be high and given current capacity considerations, the backlog is growing.

In 2022, Health Canada will engage with partners and stakeholders to develop a proportional risk-based approach to be applied across the regulatory life-cycle of pesticides, with implementation to be initiated over 2022 and 2023. The new approach will build upon the risk based prioritization framework introduced by the re-evaluation program in 2020.^{Footnote 1} In parallel, ongoing efforts to streamline the re-evaluation processes for lower priority actives will continue, while ensuring that the requirements of the Pest Control Products Act are met. Additional resources will also be injected for higher priority actives which require a more comprehensive risk assessment and potential regulatory actions in response to any new unacceptable risks identified.

Health Canada has made every effort to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on regular operations. Also, the delay in publication of decision documents due to the shift in departmental priorities to COVID-19 communications is expected to continue.

Part A, Table 1 Targets for consultation and final decisions of special reviews

Part A, Table 2a Targets for consultation and final re-evaluation decisions

Part A, Table 2b     Status of other active ingredients (currently in early part of re-evaluation process)

The re-evaluations of the following active ingredients are in the early part of the re-evaluation process, and Health Canada will provide an updated status in the next work plan to be published in spring 2023:

Part B – Future re-evaluation initiations (re-evaluation initiations anticipated between April 2022 and March 2027)

Under the current point-in-time re-evaluation model, the initiation date of the re-evaluation of a particular active ingredient is based on the date of its initial registration, or the date of the last completed re-evaluation. As highlighted in the PMRA Transformation Agenda, a continuous and risk-based oversight approach is being developed for pesticides in consultation with partners and stakeholders. As such, the categorization and timelines provided below are likely to change to reflect the new approach.

Part B, Table 1 Future re-evaluation initiations between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2027