Sharing chemical test results and assessments saves €150 million annually, says OECD

06-oct.-2011

As regulators face tighter budgets and chemical companies cut costs to remain competitive, governments increasingly count on OECD’s chemical policies and instruments to cost-effectively ensure that products are safe. "Cutting Costs in Chemicals Management: How OECD Helps Governments and Industry" analyses the rigorous and comprehensive system for assessing and managing chemicals – a system that saves governments and industry about EUR 150 million each year by “work sharing” facilitated by the OECD.

PESTICIDES: Guidance Document on Crop Field Trials

30-sept.-2011

Crop Field Trials (also referred to as supervised field trials) are conducted to determine the magnitude of the pesticide residue in or on raw agricultural commodities, including feed items, and should be designed to reflect pesticide use patterns that lead to the highest possible residues. While the OECD Guideline for the Testing of Chemicals on Crop Field Trial (TG 509, in September 2009) provides a harmonized approach to conducting and reporting crop field trials in OECD countries, this Guidance Document will help in planning the trials in OECD countries and in interpreting the results.

New Emission Scenario Document on the Chemical Industry

28-sept.-2011

This OECD Emission Scenario Document (ESD) is intended to provide information on the sources, use patterns and release pathways of chemicals used in the chemical industry to assist in the estimation of releases of chemicals to the environment.

Pathogenicity Factors in Assessing the Potential Adverse Health Effects of Micro-Organisms: Bacteria

22-sept.-2011

The Guidance Document on Pathogenicity Factors in Assessing the Potential Adverse Health Effects of Micro-organisms, number 52 in the Series on Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology, is now available online. It addresses the concept of bacterial pathogenicity in the context of risk/safety assessment of deliberate release of ‘genetically engineered’ micro-organisms intended for commercial environmental applications.

Outcome of the OECD workshop on metals specificities in environmental risk assessment

20-sept.-2011

On 7-8 September 2011, the OECD organized a workshop in Paris on metals specificities in environmental risk assessment. Concepts of bioavailability, effects assessments, fate and bioaccumulation specific to metals were presented with illustrative examples. Participants generally agreed with proposed concepts and formulated recommendations for further work. A report will be available in a few weeks.

Three new and one revised Emission Scenario Document published

07-juil.-2011

Three new Emission Scenario Documents (ESDs) on the releases of chemicals from the Application of Radiation Curable Coatings, Inks, and Adhesives, from the Use of Metalworking Fluids, and from Water-Based Operations at Industrial and Institutional Laundries are now available. The ESD on Coating Application via Spray-Painting in the Automotive Refinishing Industry from 2004 was revised. ESDs describe methods for estimating emissions of chemicals from various industry sectors and/or from uses of chemicals. Including these new documents, OECD has so far published 27 ESDs.

PESTICIDES: Publication of the OECD Survey on Efficacy & Crop Safety Data Requirements & Guidelines for the Registration of Pesticide Minor Uses: Survey Results

05-juil.-2011

This document contains the report of a survey carried out in 2009 by the OECD Expert Group on Minor Uses (EGMU), a sub-group of the Working Group on Pesticides, on “Efficacy & Crop Safety Data Requirements & Guidelines for the Registration of Pesticide Minor Uses”. The aim of the survey was to provide an overview of regulatory requirements and mechanisms pertaining to minor uses in OECD member countries.

PESTICIDES: Publication of the OECD Survey on Regulatory Incentives for the Registration of Pesticide Minor Uses: Survey Results

05-juil.-2011

This document contains the report of a survey carried out in 2009 by the OECD Expert Group on Minor Uses (EGMU), a sub-group of the Working Group on Pesticides, on “Regulatory Incentives for the Registration of Pesticide Minor Uses”. The aim of the survey was to provide an overview of regulatory incentives available to enhance the registration of pesticide minor uses.

PESTICIDES: Guidance Document on Regulatory Incentives for the Registration of Pesticide Minor Uses

05-juil.-2011

This document provides guidance to national regulatory authorities in providing greater incentives to encourage applicants (manufacturers/registrants) to register agricultural pesticides (including both synthetically and naturally derived products) for minor uses.  This document is based upon the results of a survey conducted in 2009 by the OECD Expert Group on Minor Uses (EGMU), which detailed available incentives in OECD countries [see survey results in publication ENV/JM/MONO(2011)14].

Addendum to the OECD Guiding Principles for Chemical Accident Prevention, Preparedness and Response

23-juin-2011

This Addendum has been developed as a supplement to the second edition of the OECD Guiding Principles for Chemical Accident Prevention, Preparedness and Response, published in 2003. 

The Addendum takes into account the results of five workshops that were held under the auspices of the OECD Working Group on Chemical Accidents during the period from 2003 – 2007.