What Was Heard Report - Post-Market Pesticide Re-evaluation Review 

Executive Summary

Pesticides are regulated under the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA), which is administered by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). In the coming years, it is expected that PMRA’s Post-Market Pesticide Re-evaluation Program will face a significant increase in workload pressures. As part of the PMRA’s ongoing efforts to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of its programs, in 2016 the PMRA introduced a number of improvements to post-market processes to streamline its work and eliminate duplication. However, the PMRA determined that a fulsome evaluation of the program was required to seek broader efficiencies to improve its overall sustainability.

PMRA recognizes the importance of hearing the perspectives of a wide range of stakeholders as a key component of the review. As such, PMRA set out to meet with stakeholders across the country to seek feedback on the current and future state of the re-evaluation program.

This report summarizes the stakeholder consultations that were conducted face-to-face at various locations across Canada in the fall of 2018, through webinars and through the collection of written submissions from stakeholders.

Participation in these engagement sessions was targeted towards stakeholders with knowledge of the current re-evaluation process. Stakeholders representing 140 associations and organizations, including participants from provincial, territorial and municipal governments, registrants, industry associations, growers and other user groups, non-governmental organizations, academia, and other regulatory partners, provided insightful comments to the PMRA during these sessions.

These consultations were designed to elicit comments and feedback on the current post-market pesticide re-evaluation program, including what is working well and areas for improvement. Feedback was received under the following four key themes:

Theme 1: Stakeholder Engagement and Transparency in Re-Evaluations - including the timing and frequency of stakeholder engagement points throughout the pesticide re-evaluation process, the predictability of requirements, and transparency.

Theme 2: Initiation and Prioritization of Re-Evaluations - particularly the timing and triggers to initiate a pesticide re-evaluation, including discussions on the 15 year cycle, risk-based approaches and prioritization of pesticides to be reviewed

Theme 3: Scientific Assessment and Risk Management in Re-Evaluations - increasing the predictability of data requirements and how data is being used to refine the risk assessment, as well as tools and opportunities to share available data and studies, and encouraging better understanding of the differences in use-patterns across the country.

Theme 4: Alternative Models for Re-Evaluation - including increased stakeholder engagement, flexible risk-based approaches, enhanced post-market monitoring and surveillance of pesticides, socio-economic impacts of decisions in the risk management process, improved accountability of the registrant and better international alignment.

This report aims to reflect the summary of the ideas, comments and feedback that were raised during the stakeholder consultations. It does not attempt to include every comment received, nor does it imply consensus on the part of all participants. It presents a summary of what was heard from input that was wide-ranging, broad-based and not always consistent. The views expressed are those of the participants in the consultation process and should not be seen as representative of either PMRA or the Government of Canada positions or views.