1. Opening of the session.

2. Organizational matters:

Item 1. Opening of the meeting

1. The fifth meeting of the Chemical Review Committee, to be held from 23 to 27 March 2009 at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, will be opened at 10 a.m. on Monday, 23 March 2009.

Note by the Secretariat

1. At its second meeting, the Chemical Review Committee established a procedure for dealing with notifications of final regulatory action to ban or severely restrict a chemical. The procedure has been posted on the Convention website and will be available at the fifth meeting of the Committee in a compilation of policy guidance and working procedures (document UNEP/FAO/RC/CRC.5/INF/3).

Note by the Secretariat

1. The purpose of the present note is to provide the Chemical Review Committee with an overview of the outcome of the deliberations of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention at its fourth meeting, held in Rome from 27 to 31 October 2008. The report of the fourth meeting (UNEP/FAO/RC/COP.4/24) was circulated in December 2008 and posted on the Rotterdam Convention website (www.pic.int).

Note by the Secretariat

1. Under Article 5 of the Rotterdam Convention, when the Secretariat has received at least one notification from each of two prior informed consent (PIC) regions containing the information required in Annex I to the Convention, it shall forward the notifications and accompanying documentation to the members of the Chemical Review Committee. The Committee shall review the documentation provided in such notifications and, in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex II to the Convention, recommend to the Conference of the Parties whether the chemical in question should be included in Annex III to the Convention and whether a decision guidance document should be drafted.

Note by the Secretariat

Supporting documentation provided by Canada

Note by the Secretariat

Supporting documentation provided by Thailand

Note by the Secretariat

1. Under Article 5 of the Rotterdam Convention, when the Secretariat has received at least one notification from each of two prior informed consent (PIC) regions containing the information required in Annex I to the Convention, it shall forward the notifications and accompanying documentation to the members of the Chemical Review Committee. The Committee shall review the documentation provided in such notifications and, in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex II to the Convention, recommend to the Conference of the Parties whether the chemical in question should be included in Annex III to the Convention and whether a decision guidance document should be drafted.

Note by the Secretariat

Rationale for the Committee’s conclusion that the European Community’s notification met the requirements of the Convention

Note by the Secretariat

Supporting documentation provided by Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal

USA Environmental Protection Agency, Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances (7508C), EPA 738-R-02-013 November 2002

Reregistration Eligibility Decision for Endosulfan

Note by the Secretariat

1. Under Article 5 of the Rotterdam Convention, when the Secretariat has received at least one notification from each of two prior informed consent (PIC) regions containing the information required in Annex I to the Convention, it shall forward the notifications and accompanying documentation to the members of the Chemical Review Committee. The Committee shall review the documentation provided in such notifications and, in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex II to the Convention, recommend to the Conference of the Parties whether the chemical in question should be included in Annex III to the Convention and whether a decision guidance document should be drafted.

Note by the Secretariat

Rationale for the Committee’s conclusion that the European Community’s notification met the requirements of the Convention

Note by the Secretariat

Supporting documentation provided by Uruguay

Note by the Secretariat

1. Under Article 5 of the Rotterdam Convention, when the Secretariat has received at least one notification from each of two prior informed consent (PIC) regions containing the information required in Annex I to the Convention, it shall forward the notifications and accompanying documentation to the members of the Chemical Review Committee. The Committee shall review the documentation provided in such notifications and, in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex II to the Convention, recommend to the Conference of the Parties whether the chemical in question should be included in Annex III to the Convention and whether a decision guidance document should be drafted.

Note by the Secretariat

Rationale for the Committee’s conclusion that Canada’s notification met the requirements of the Convention

Note by the Secretariat

Supporting documentation provided by Uruguay

Note by the Secretariat

Information received from Cuba

Note by the Secretariat

1. Under Article 5 of the Rotterdam Convention, when the Secretariat has received at least one notification from each of two prior informed consent (PIC) regions containing the information required in Annex I to the Convention, it shall forward the notifications and accompanying documentation to the members of the Chemical Review Committee. The Committee shall review the documentation provided in such notifications and, in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex II to the Convention, recommend to the Conference of the Parties whether the chemical in question should be included in Annex III to the Convention and whether a decision guidance document should be drafted.

Note by the Secretariat

Paraquat: supporting documentation provided by Sweden

Note by the Secretariat

Supporting documentation provided by Uruguay

Note by the Secretariat

Supporting documentation provided by Sri Lanka

Note by the Secretariat

Addendum

Supporting documentation provided by Sri Lanka

Note by the Secretariat

Corrigendum submitted by Sri Lanka to its notification for paraquat

Note by the Secretariat

1. Under Article 5 of the Rotterdam Convention, when the Secretariat has received at least one notification from each of two prior informed consent (PIC) regions containing the information required in Annex I to the Convention, it shall forward the notifications and accompanying documentation to the members of the Chemical Review Committee. The Committee shall review the documentation provided in such notifications and, in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex II to the Convention, recommend to the Conference of the Parties whether the chemical in question should be included in Annex III to the Convention and whether a decision guidance document should be drafted.

Note by the Secretariat

Supporting documentation provided by Canada

Note by the Secretariat

Supporting documentation provided by Thailand

Note by the Secretariat

1. Under Article 5 of the Rotterdam Convention, when the Secretariat has received at least one notification from each of two prior informed consent (PIC) regions containing the information required in Annex I to the Convention, it shall forward the notifications and accompanying documentation to the members of the Chemical Review Committee. The Committee shall review the documentation provided in such notifications and, in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex II to the Convention, recommend to the Conference of the Parties whether the chemical in question should be included in Annex III to the Convention and whether a decision guidance document should be drafted.

Note by the Secretariat

Supporting documentation provided by Canada

Note by the Secretariat

Supporting documentation provided by Japan

Note by the Secretariat

Hexachlorobenzene: supporting documentation provided by Panama

Note by the Secretariat

1. Under Article 5 of the Rotterdam Convention, when the Secretariat has received at least one notification from each of two prior informed consent (PIC) regions containing the information required in Annex I to the Convention, it shall forward the notifications and accompanying documentation to the members of the Chemical Review Committee. The Committee shall review the documentation provided in such notifications and, in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex II to the Convention, recommend to the Conference of the Parties whether the chemical in question should be included

Note by the Secretariat

Supporting documentation provided by Canada

Note by the Secretariat

Supporting documentation provided by Japan

Note by the Secretariat

1. At its second and fourth meetings, the Chemical Review Committee reviewed the notifications of final regulatory actions for alachlor from Canada and the European Community, respectively, including the supporting documentation referenced therein, and, taking into account each of the specific requirements set out in Annex II of the Rotterdam Convention, concluded that the requirements of that Annex had been met.

Note by the Secretariat

1. At its fourth meeting, the Chemical Review Committee reviewed the notifications of final regulatory actions for aldicarb from the European Community and Jamaica, including the supporting documentation referenced therein, and, taking into account each of the specific requirements set out in Annex II of the Rotterdam Convention, concluded that the requirements of that Annex had been met.

Note by the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, additional information provided through the Executive Secretary of the Pesticides Control Authority of Jamaica related to its final regulatory action on aldicarb.

I. Opening of the meeting

3. The fifth meeting of the Committee was held at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome from 23 to 27 March 2009. The meeting was opened at 10 a.m. on Monday, 23 March 2009 by Ms. Karmen Krajnc (Slovenia), Chair of the Committee.