G/SPS/GEN/1514  
 
7 October  2016 
(16-5409) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
  WORK SHOP ON PESTICIDE MAXIMUM RESIDUE LEVE LS  
MONDAY, 24 OCTOBER – TUESDAY, 25  OCTOBE R 2016  
WTO, CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD, GENEVA  
PROGRAMME  
MONDAY, 24 OCTOBER 2016  
10:00 – 10:30  
Workshop Overview and O bjectives  
This session will provide an overview of the wo rkshop and its objectives.  
Speaker:  Ms Marcela Otero , Chair of the  SPS Committee  
10:30 – 11:00 
Session 1: The SPS Agreement and  Pesticide Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs)  
The Secretariat will provide a background presentation on the relevant provisions of the SPS 
Agreement and summarize the relevant WTO jurisprudence relate d to maximum residue levels . 
Speaker: Ms Anneke Hamilton , WTO Secretariat   
11:00 – 13:00  
Session 2: Codex Approach to Establishing Pesticide MRLs  
Part 1  
Introduction to the Codex approac h to establishing pesticide MRLs. This will include relevant 
information on the respective work of Codex and other scientific bodies such as the Codex 
Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) and the Joint FAO/WHO Meeti ng on Pesticide Residues 
(JMPR).  
Part 2  
Q&A session with the experts to answer questions specific to the Codex approach.  
Moderator : Dr Kazuaki Miyagishima , Director, Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses, WHO  
Speakers:  
 Mr Ian Reichstein , Director, National Residue Survey, Residues & Food, Ex ports Division,  
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, Australia and Chair of the Codex Committee 
on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) Working Group on Priorities  
Establishment of Codex MRLs – Prioritisation criteria, scheduling, evaluation and proposals   
 Dr Juerg Zarn , WHO JMPR  Expert, Head of Scientific Evaluation Sector, Federal Food Safety  
and Veterinary Office (FSVO), Switzerland  
The scientific basis of international food safety standards  
 Ms Yongzhen Yang , FAO JMPR Secretary   
Overview of the JMPR esti mation of MRLs for pesticide residues  
 Ms Gracia Brisco , Food Standards Officer , Codex Secretariat   
Codex procedures for the establishment of pesticide MRLs  G/SPS/GEN/1514  
 
- 2 - 
 
   
13:00 – 15:00  Lunch break  
15:00 – 16:15 
Session 3 : Relevant Bilateral, Regional and Internationa l Work on Pesticide Residues  
In this session, relevant bilateral, regional or international work will be presented in the area of 
maximum residue levels for pesticides .  
Moderator: Dr Robert Ahern , Head of the IICA Agricultural Health and Food Safety Progr amme  
Part 1 : Regional Initiatives on MRLs - Ongoing work in OECD , APEC and EAC  
This session will provide an u pdate on  regional MRL work undertaken by the Organization of 
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation  (APEC) 
and the East African Community (EAC) . In particular, speakers will focus on:  OECD guidance on 
residue definitions, testing and the harmonization work program me; APEC Import MRL guideline for 
pesticides ; and MRL har monization work in th e East African Community (EAC).  
Speakers :   
 Ms Donna Davis , Office of Pesticide Programs, US Environmental Protection Agency  (EPA)  
US EPA perspectives on harmonization of international MRL s - OECD  and APEC collaborative 
work projects 
 Mr Steve J. Crossley , Manager, Scientific Strategy, International and Surveillance, Food  
Standards Australia New Zealand – Australia    
APEC import MRL guideline for pesticides - Enhancing trade, regulatory convergence and       
consumer protection  
 Mr Micha el Odong , Assistant Commissioner, Head Agricultural Chemical Regulatory 
Division, Department of Crop Inspection and Certification, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal 
Industry and Fisheries, Uganda  
Regional  initiative to harmonize pesticide MRLs in order to fa cilitate regional and international  
trade in products of  plant origin: EAC perspective  
16:15 – 17:45 
Session 3 : Relevant Bilateral, Regional and International Work on Pesticide Residues 
(cont'd)  
Moderator: Mr Melvin Spreij, Secretary of the Standards and  Trade Development Facility (STDF)  
Part 2: Establishing MRLs for Minor -Use Crops  
In this session, s peakers will address issues related to establishing MRLs for minor -use crops 
(i.e. crops of low pesticide usage on a global scale) . In particular , focus will  be placed on the 
ongoing work being carried out through projects (supported by the STDF, USDA, IDB, JMPR and/or 
others) in Africa, Asia, Latin America and North America, including the experiences in identifying 
MRL needs fo r developing country exports.  
Speakers :   
 Mr Dan Kunkel , Assoc iate Director, Food and International Programs, IR -4 Project 
Headquarters, Rutgers State Univer sity of New Jersey   
The experience  of IR4 in addressing grower needs, and fostering international cooperation in 
support of interna tional harmonization  
 Mr Jason Sandahl , Senior Program Manager, Trade and Scientific Capacity Building 
Division, Office of Capacity Building and Development, US Department of Agriculture  
Collaborative  approach in addressing g lobal MRL needs for minor -use crops 
 Mr John A. Pwamang , Deputy Executive Director, Operations, Environmental Protection 
Agency , Ghana  
Strengthening  capacity for  pesticides residue data generation  
 Ms Ana Carolina Lamy , Federal Inspector, Secretariat of Agribusiness International 
Relatio ns, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, Brazil  
Update on the Brazilian legislation for setting MRLs for minor -use crops  
17:45 – 18:00  
Closi ng remarks and wrap -up of day 1  
 G/SPS/GEN/1514  
 
- 3 - 
 
  TUESDAY, 25 OCTOBER 2016  
10:00 – 10:15  Opening Remarks  
10:15 – 12:15 
Session 4: Domestic Frameworks and Approaches for Establishing MRLs and Import 
Tolerances  
Moderator : Mr Ian  Reichstein , Director, National Residue Survey, Residues & Food, Exports 
Division, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, Australia and  Chair of the Codex 
Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) Working Group on Priorities  
Part 1: Domestic Policy, Regulatory  and Legal Infrastructures  for Establishing MRLs  
In this session, speakers will explain their domestic regulatory and legal infrastruc tures for 
establishing MRLs.   
Speakers:   
 Mr Volker  Wachtler , Policy Officer , Directorate -General for Health and Food Safety,   
European Commission   
The EU policy for setting pesticide MRLs  
 Mr Takuya K ondo , Assistant Director , Standard and Evaluation Divisi on, Department of  
Environmental Health and Food Safety, Pharmaceutical Safety and Environmental Health  
Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), Japan  
Overview of pesticide MRLs in Japan  
 
Part 2:  Domestic Frameworks for Risk Assessment and Ris k Management  
Through the use of case studies, s peakers in this session will provide insights into their domestic 
frameworks for establishing MRLs and import tolerances. In particular, speakers will highlight 
their approaches to risk assessment and risk man agement where no international standard exists 
or where an existing international standard is not used. This session will also explore concerns 
related to specific commodity and pesticide combinations.  
Speakers:  
 Dr Peter Chan , Director General, Health Eval uation Directorate, Pest Management  
Regulatory Agency, Health Canada  
Canadian regulatory approach for establishing  MRLs 
 TBC 
12:15 – 13:00 
Session 5: Experiences in Implementing and Complying with Codex MRLs  
This session will explore Members ' experiences in implementing existing Codex MRLs from an 
importer 's perspective. In addition, the session will provide additional insights into the difficulties 
and challenges faced in complying with MRLs from an exporter 's perspective. Experiences will 
also be shared in relation to the application of measures for compounds that cannot be detected 
in final products.  
Moderator: Mrs Awilo Ochieng Pernet , Chairperson, Codex  Alimentarius Commission   
Speakers : 
 Dr Olga Egorova , Senior Researcher, F.F. Erisman Federal Scientif ic Centre of Hygiene,  
Rospotrebnadzor  
Harmonization of Russian pesticide MRLs with Codex standards  
 Mr Ra úl Peralto Girón , Director, Agrifood Safety Department, Ministry of Agriculture,  
Dominican Republic   
The impact of implementation of Codex MRLs on expo rt of fruits and fresh vegetables  
13:00 – 15:00  Lunch break  
 
 G/SPS/GEN/1514  
 
- 4 - 
 
  15:00 – 16:15 
Session 6: Panel Discussion on t he Role of the Private Sector in the Establishment and 
Implementation of MRLs  
Through the use of specific examples, speakers in this session wi ll explore the various ways in 
which the private sector can be involved in the establishment of MRLs and their experiences in 
the implementation of MRLs. In particular, this session will highlight the role of the private sector 
in providing support for the  scientific review process through data sharing, expert consultation 
and contribution of financial resources to support the review process. This session will be 
followed by a question and answer period . 
Moderator: TBC  
Panel s peakers:  
 Mr Matt Lantz , Vice P resident, Global Access, Bryant Christie Inc., United States  
 Mr Michael Kaethner , Global Regulatory Policy Manager, Bayer CropScience, Germany  
 Mr Gord Kurbis , Director of Market Access and Trade Policy, Pulse Canada and Chairman  
of the Codex Working Group for the Global Pulse Confederation  
 Ms Morag Webb , Policy Adviser, Europe -Africa -Caribbean -Pacific Liaison Committee  
(COLEACP)  
16:15 – 17:30 
Session 7: Impact of MRLs on International Trade  
Moderator:  Ms Martha Byanyima , SPS and Agribusiness Expert, Commo n Market for Eastern 
and Southern Africa (COMESA)   
Part 1:  Impact of Compliance with Default MRLs on International Trade  
This session will explore the impact of the use of default MRLs on international trade, including 
those set at the limits of detection.  Through the use of case studies, s peakers  will explain their 
experiences with addressing the use of default MRLs by trading partners and the subsequent 
impact on agricultural exports. This session will be followed by a question and answer period .  
Speaker s:  
 Ms Rebe ka Tekle , Acting Deputy Director , Agriculture and Agrifood Canada  
Managing the impacts of differing MRLs on trade in a griculture: A Canadian perspective  
 Ms Lucy Namu , Senior Principal Analytical Chemist, Head Quality Assurance an d 
Laboratory Acc reditation, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service  
Trade impact of default maximum residue limits (MRLs) - The case of Kenya  
Part 2:  Impact of MRL Expiration on Agricultural Trade  
A speaker will highlight the potential impacts of MRL expiration on agricu ltural trade and the 
possible approaches to address concerns that may be posed by older products while maintaining 
safe trade.  
Speaker :  
 Ms Gabriela Catalani , Director , Cooperation and Bilateral Negotiations , Coordina tor of 
the Codex Alimentarius Office in  Argentina   
17:30 – 18:00  
Session 8: Conclusions  
Speakers will identify a few key conclusions  from sessions  1 to 7 . This session will also include a 
question and answer period.  
Moderator : Ms Marcela Otero , Chair of the SPS Committee  
Speakers:  
 Developin g country perspective – Ms Lucy Namu , Senio r Principal Analytical Chemist  
Head Quality Assurance and Laboratory Accreditation, Kenya  Plant Health Inspectorate 
Service  
 Developed country perspective – Dr Peter Chan , Director General, Health Evaluation  
Direct orate, Pest Management Regulatory Agency, Health Canada  
__________