APVMA CEO appointed to OECD Working Group on Pesticides

Dr Eva Bennet-Jenkins, the APVMA's CEO has been appointed as Vice-Chair for the Working Group on Pesticides, a committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

This appointment reflects Dr Bennet-Jenkins' extensive experience in pesticide regulation and exemplifies the regard with which she is held in the international regulatory community.

"I was delighted to be asked to take on this role,” Dr Bennet-Jenkins said. "It is a great honour that recognises the good work done by Australia at the OECD level."

The committee is the forum for national pesticide regulators from developed countries to discuss common issues about conventional and biological pesticides. It comprises representatives of OECD governments, the European Commission and other international organisations, the pesticides industry and the environmental community.

The committee supports the objectives of the OECD Pesticides Programme:

• help OECD governments share the work of pesticide registration and re-registration, as the same pesticides are often used in many countries

• harmonise the data and methods used to test and assess pesticide risks, so as to help governments work together and improve the quality of the data and the rigour of the assessments

• help OECD governments reduce the risks associated with pesticide use, through a variety of actions to supplement pesticide registration and further reduce the risks that may result even when registered pesticides are used properly.