UAE tightens control over pesticides

Date:06-24-2011

Further enforcing the measures for public safety and environment protection, the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) has decided to strictly monitor the use of pesticides in the country.

The MoEW on Thursday urged the residents to be extra vigilant while using pesticides in housing premises, while the commercial establishments have been asked to strictly adhere to the regulations in importing the pesticides and supplying them across the country.

The ministry regulates companies, institutions and individuals handling or using any restricted pesticide under the supervision of technical and specialised guidance and directives of the authorities, a top MoEW official said.

According to her, 168 permits were issued during the first half of this year to import pesticides to the country. Information about the permitted pesticides has been published on the ministry’s website, which also launched an online service recently to communicate with pesticide traders regarding registration and import of such products.”

The mechanism for regulating the import and handling of pesticides prevents the import, registration and trading of banned pesticides.

The official website also explains conditions and scientific specifications for registering and import of pesticides to the UAE.

Dr Mariam Al Shinasi, undersecretary at the MoEW, had earlier said that the ministry takes stringent action to control circulation and use of the pesticides in the country.

"The pesticide management system updates regulations and conditions and develops legislation for controlling such products with stringent criteria for their registration and circulation in the country,” she added.

"The punitive actions against the establishments will be for non-compliance with the Federal Law No. 41/1992 on the use of the pesticides, and the ministerial decision No. 409/2009 that emphasised the pesticides control system applicable across the GCC countries,” the official elaborated.

"The laws aimed at preserving natural resources by effectively controlling various kinds of pollutions and banning materials that pose negative impact on the environment as well as safety of human health,” she noted.

All the new pesticides will be tested in the ministry’s laboratory before providing licence to such products to protect human and animal health and safeguarde trees and the environment from pollution.