EPPO Expert Working Group on Harmonization of Data
on Plant Protection Products
Composition (last updated October 2023)
| COEMANS Bert (Mr) | FOD Volksgezondheid, Brussels (BE) |
| DONNARUMMA Lucia (Ms) | CREA-Research Centre for Plant Protection and Certification, Roma (IT) |
| HANZLIK Kristin (Ms) | Representative ECPA, BASF, Limburgerhof (DE) |
| KRAL Gregor (Mr) | Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL), Braunschweig (DE) |
| LANGER Ingrid (Ms) | Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Institute for Plant Protection Products, Wien (AT) |
| MOL Erwin (Mr) | National Plant Protection Organization, Utrecht (NL) |
| PITAROKILI Danae (Ms) | Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Athens (GR) |
| RADET Franck (Mr) | ANSES, Maisons Alfort (FR) |
| WILLIAMS Mark (Mr) | European Commission DG SANTE Unit E4 Pesticides and Biocides |
Terms of Reference (as agreed by the Executive Committee in September 2017)
Introduction
This Panel was first established as an ad hoc panel in 2004 and last met in 2005 after having held three meetings. Its activities resulted in the production of EPPO Standard PP1/240 Harmonized basic information for databases on plant protection products and EPPO Standard PP 1/248 Harmonized classification and coding of the uses of plant protection products. The ad hoc Panel was then dormant before being revived in 2014 to discuss the development of new EPPO Codes to describe uses of plant protection products.
Scope
The Panel on Data Harmonisation for Plant Protection Products advises the EPPO Secretariat and the Working Party on Plant Protection Products on all aspects of data harmonisation to facilitate communication and regulatory data exchange on plant protection products between authorities in different countries and between industry and regulators.
Tasks
- advise the Working Party on Plant Protection Products in regard to harmonization of data elements for communication and storage of information on plant protection products, including development of relevant Standards and guidance;
- advise the Working Party on Plant Protection Products in regard to general policy on maintenance and revision of the EPPO Code system to meet the needs of industry and regulators in the plant protection products sector;
- elaborate a harmonized classification of non-taxonomic Codes to describe PPP uses and advise the EPPO Secretariat on individual requests for new non-taxonomic EPPO Codes as part of the harmonised classification. As the EPPO Secretariat cannot rely on any ‘external scientific authority’ as it does for taxonomic codes, the EPPO Panel is the suitable body for creation and maintenance of the EPPO non-taxonomic Codes;
- advise the EPPO Secretariat if changes in taxonomic EPPO Codes may have a significant impact in the plant protection products sector;
- carry out specific additional tasks requested by the Working Party on Plant Protection Products or the EPPO Secretariat;
- report to the Working Party on Plant Protection Products on its activities.
Way of Working
- Experts for the Panel are nominated by member countries, and by the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) and appointed by the Executive Committee. ECPA may nominate up to two experts from different companies, but one of these is responsible for co-ordinating industry input.
- European Commission representatives are also invited as observers in the Panel meetings because relevant European databases on PPP and Plant Health are being developed and make use of EPPO Codes.
- The Panel normally meets annually. In between annual meetings it may meet by teleconference, and may hold e-mail consultations to facilitate rapid decision making on individual non-taxonomic EPPO Codes.
- Webinars for EPPO Code users may be arranged in association with meetings of the Panel, and Panel members are encouraged to participate in these to facilitate good exchange of views with all EPPO Codes users.
- Reports of meetings are circulated within four weeks in draft and participants are given two weeks in which to comment. Other means are being developed for recording decisions on individual codes, particularly when these decisions are made between meetings.