Agriculture committee  When we register a pesticide for use in Canada, we have to look at human health aspects, environmental aspects, and value, which has mostly been efficacy. When we look at the human health aspects, people typically first think about eating the food that's been treated with the pesticides.

Agriculture committee  The Pest Management Regulatory Agency is a branch of Health Canada. It's called an agency, but that's just its name. I report to the deputy minister, as do the other assistant deputy ministers, but my title is different. We are part of Health Canada, and it's the Minister of Health who is responsible for the Pest Control Products Act.

Agriculture committee  ClearOut 41 Plus was registered in Canada after they started accessing what I'll call the Canadian agriculture sector through own-use import. They are not marketing the product in Canada. The sales of ClearOut 41 Plus are all happening in the States, and it is American-registered product that is being used.

Agriculture committee  No, it doesn't include Mexico. All of the work is done under the auspices of the NAFTA Technical Working Group on Pesticides, which includes Mexico, and the Mexicans participate in the meetings. They are clear that they are not participating in joint reviews at the moment, but they follow the developments.

Agriculture committee  I would say.

Agriculture committee  I think parties should recognize that when you're doing something for the first time as opposed to the twentieth time, or the fortieth, it's always more difficult. So in terms of joint reviews and talking with registrants, it's been a learning experience for all involved. We're at the point now where one of the major five registrants has told us that this is their business model; they're always using joint reviews.

Agriculture committee  From the farmer's perspective, they can order and import now, before June 28, what they need for the whole growing season. That's clear. They can address the whole 2007 growing season in advance of June 28. So if you're a farmer and you want to have the product there, to have certainty--order it now, get it in now--that's allowed.

Agriculture committee  A condition of the program is that farmers can import and use for a full growing season. I mean, we don't want it coming in during the cold of winter, but nothing prohibits them from importing, in advance of June 28, sufficient product to use for the whole 2007 growing season.

Agriculture committee  They came to PMRA as the sponsors of ClearOut 41 Plus. Some colleagues have referred to them as the Costco of the agriculture sector. They did their homework and had the chemical analysis done that showed this U.S. product was equivalent to a Canadian-registered product. In 2005, most of the product was shipped under what I'll call the auspices of Farmers of North America.

Agriculture committee  We're saying keep the regulation essentially as it is on the books. So in terms of turning it back on, it's a matter of under own-use import you need a sponsor who can show equivalence of two products. They can have that at the ready right away, so it isn't a six-month lag time.

Agriculture committee  It depends on the sponsors being ready with the information about products.

Agriculture committee  That would be the case even with current own-use import. This is one of the issues growers have, that under own-use import there's a requirement for the growers to have the information that products are equivalent, which is a harder situation than under GROU, where the registrants are participating, and it's sent us in paper.

Agriculture committee  We're at a really opportune time in that it's a win for every stakeholder group to increasingly see joint registrations, Canada and the U.S. Farmers started it, and farmers were clearly, in the early days of NAFTA, saying this is where they wanted to go. The regulators now really see the benefits and the farmers see the benefits of having the regulators on both sides of the border having the same decisions.

Agriculture committee  We've actually determined, in discussion with our legal people, that we can implement GROU without any changes to our regulations. So, indeed, it means we have to grant the equivalency certificate for the products that we've deemed eligible based on the fact also that there would be a Canadian label that was approved.

Agriculture committee  Yes.