On May 26 2014, ICAMA released a notice on its website that the MoA is inviting representatives for a hearing on pesticide marketing approval, which will take place late next month. The hearing will pave the way for China’s new pesticide regulation.
Under the current pesticide management system, only specific enterprises (mostly state owned or government-backed) are permitted to sell pesticides to end users. Though some provinces have issued local regulation on pesticide marketing management and allow private enterprise to sell products this has never been established nationwide. However a large volume of pesticides are supplied through private channels. This unregulated black market poses a significant threat to human health and the environment. On July 20 2011, the revised draft of “Regulation on Pesticide Administration” was released for public consultation. The most significant alteration is the new approval system for pesticide distributors. Entities that comply with requirements relating to appropriate operating premises, warehouse safety and qualified professionals will be permitted to sell pesticides. Although the move should end the monopolies that have stopped innovation and competitiveness in this market, we can expect heavy lobbying against the passing of this new regulation by the enterprises currently in power who stand to have a considerable slice of their profits divvied out amongst new market entrants. MoA revealed that the implementation of the new pesticide regulation is top of the legislative agenda for 2014. This hearing is a necessary formal first step towards final implementation. MoA will invite various representatives for the hearing: 3 pesticide producers, 6 pesticide distributors, 4 pesticide users, 2 pesticide regulators and 2 representing agricultural concerns. After the hearing pesticide marketing approval could be implemented in China and entities wishing to sell pesticides can obtain a license for pesticide marketing from authorities. Highly-toxic and high risk pesticide will still be only sold by officially designated pesticide distributors. Distributors that only sell household pesticide can be exempted from licensing requirements.
