News
Health Canada seeks experts for advisory committee on pest control products

Health Canada has launched a call for nominations to create a new Science Advisory Committee on Pest Control Products in Canada.

The committee, established under Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), will provide advice, as appropriate, prior to certain evidence-based federal decisions on pesticides, including on pesticide Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs).

In addition, the committee’s role will be to provide scientific advice in response to issues for consideration, including:

• specific technical aspects of PMRA human health and/or environmental risk assessments;
• a pesticide’s value in contributing to the management of a relevant pest problem in Canada; and,
• specific technical aspects of pesticide risk management options.

Health Canada is seeking nominations of experts with a wide range of relevant knowledge and experience, including pesticide use in Canada, environmental fate and modelling, health risk assessment, or pesticide value assessment. The Department is also seeking nominations to assemble a roster of experts to advise the committee on an ad hoc basis, depending on the nature of the issues on the meeting agenda.

Interested individuals can apply online by March 11, 2022. Appointments will be part of an open, transparent, and merit-based selection process that will strive to reflect the diverse communities in Canada as well as balanced regional and linguistic representation, and gender parity.

“The new Science Advisory Committee on Pest Control Products in Canada will provide independent scientific advice on key pesticide-related issues, allowing Health Canada to continue their important work in assessing pesticide safety in Canada,” says Jean-Yves Duclos, federal minister of health.

Reporting to the Executive Director of PMRA, the committee is expected to include 5-8 core members, each serving 36 month terms and possible extension.

The committee will run independently from the existing Pest Management Advisory Council (PMAC), which provides broad non-scientific advice to the Minister of Health on the strategic direction, management, and overall priorities for PMRA.

Last August, the government of Canada announced an investment of $50 million in PMRA and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s pest management research, to be supported by Environment and Climate Change Canada.