The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies approved Act PL 6299/02, which updates and optimizes the registration rules for pesticides in Brazil. The bill, which has been supported by Brazilian Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina, was rumored to be officially approved by the government in 2019.
One of the most significant changes in the bill is the establishment of a maximum period of two years for the approval of new molecules, with the average duration of the process currently being seven years. Shortening approval times will ensure that there are more solutions to crop farming problems on the market, able to keep pace with developments in food safety technology.
The bill also proposes an exemption from registration for products intended exclusively for export. Because the destination country has its own regulatory requirements, and products intended for export are already regulated throughout the production and transportation process.
Another important change is that the inspection and analysis of pesticides is centralized under the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA). For example, MAPA will be responsible for the "temporary registration" (TR) authorization of a product when it has not been formally authorized. For registration of new products, it takes 24 months, but products used for research and experimentation may benefit from a "temporary registration" (TR) authorization, and the Department of Agriculture must complete an analysis of such applications within 30 days.
Provisions of the new Act also provide that if a conclusive opinion is not issued on an application for pesticide registration within two years, a "Temporary Authorization" (TA) will be granted to allow the application of an existing product to another crop that was not initially specified. In addition, if a new pesticide has not been analyzed by the government two years after the application, and the product has been registered in at least three member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Brazilian government is obliged to issue a "" Provisional Registration" (TR). In this way, farmers' access to these products becomes predictable. The OECD brings together 37 countries with varying requirements on the subject.
In addition, the project approved by the Brazilian Parliament adopts the concept of "unacceptable risk", which refers to the risk that still exists in the product even if risk management measures are implemented. In this case, it will be up to the registration authority to assess the acceptable level of risk for products to be registered in Brazil, rather than imposing specific restrictions as is currently the case.
Next, the Brazilian Senate must analyze the changes made in PL 6299/02 and put them to a vote. Brazil's House of Representatives Front for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry (FPA) expects it will take about 60 days, and if approved by the Senate, Brazil's president will decide whether to grant final approval.
