43rd Meeting of the Working Party on Plant Protection Products

Zadar, Croatia, 2013-05-22/24

 

The 43rd Meeting of the Working Party on Plant Protection Products took place in Zadar, Croatia on 2013-05-22/24.  Many thanks are due to the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture for kindly hosting the meeting.  There were 19 participants from 14 EPPO countries and ECPA. The Working Party also enjoyed a visit to the agricultural cooperative “Olive and Wine Polača” and to its organic vineyards and olive groves.


This EPPO Working Party directs and supervises the technical work of the EPPO Panels concerned with the registration of plant protection products. The major points from the meeting are summarized below.

 

EPPO Standards for approval

The Working Party on Plant Protection Products continues to approve a steady flow of new and revised EPPO Standards in series PP1 Efficacy Evaluation of Plant Protection Products. A total of 4 specific Standards will be submitted to the Executive Committee and Council of EPPO in September 2013 for approval and publication:

 

Specific Standards

  • Aphids on beet (revision PP 1/228)
  • Drosophila suzukii (new)
  • Rhizoctonia solani (revision PP 1/32)
  • Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae, P. syringae and P. viridiflava on kiwifruit (new)

 

Standard PP 1/272 on Foliar diseases on maize still needs to be finalized and it was sent back to the technical Panel on Efficacy Evaluation of Fungicides and Insecticides as some major amendments were received during country consultation.

 

General Standards

The Working Party provided guidance for the revision of two general Standards on efficacy evaluation: Phytotoxicity assessment (PP 1/135) and Acceptable efficacy (PP 1/214) which will be forwarded to the relevant technical Panel for further work.

 

Zonal efficacy evaluation

Two new examples of zonal efficacy evaluation have been approved by the Working Party and will shortly be added on the EPPO website:

  • Clarification of efficacy data requirements for the authorization of fungicide for the control of Septoria leaf blotch (Mycosphaerella graminicola) on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) in the European Central authorization zone,
  • Clarification of efficacy data requirements for the authorization of herbicide for the control of weeds in maize in the Central EU zone.

 

The Working Party also was informed and gave advice for the preparation of the Workshop on Experiences with implementation of zonal evaluation of plant protection products that will take place in Bulgaria on 2013-10-22/24. The Workshop will provide an opportunity to illustrate and discuss what is being done in terms of zonal evaluation by different countries and to clarify current responsibilities. The Working Party recommended an active participation from countries as the Workshop will represent a unique opportunity to improve collaboration.

 

Extrapolation tables for minor uses

Extrapolation tables for minor uses are being developed to complement EPPO Standard PP 1/257 Efficacy and crop safety extrapolations for minor uses. Two new tables will be added shortly to the EPPO website:

  • Weeds in spring cereals including rice
  • Weeds in minor winter cereals

 

The Working Party was also briefed on international developments on minor uses with particular reference to the EU Technical Working Group on Minor Uses with its Commodity Expert Groups and the EUMUDA database, the Global Minor Use Steering Committee and Working Groups (GMUS website) and the OECD Expert Group on Minor Uses (EGMU).

 

Programme of activity

The Working Party also discussed future activities and priorities for consideration by the EPPO Council in September 2013.  In addition to proposals for new Standards or revision of existing ones, future activities include development of initiatives related to Integrated Pest Management.  Furthermore, the Working Party discussed the broader EPPO’s strategy and made several recommendations to the ‘EPPO’s mission, goals and strategy for 2010-2014’ a crucial issue to be discussed during the next EPPO Council session.


The next Working Party on Plant Protection Products is due to convene in Hungary on 2014-05-14/16.