1.Opening of the session.

2. Organizational matters:

Item 1. Opening of the meeting

Note from the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to transmit to the Chemical Review Committee, in the annex to the present note, information for the fourth meeting of the Committee prepared by the Chair of the Committee, Ms. Hyacinth Chin Sue (Jamaica).

Note from the Secretariat

1. At its second meeting, the Chemical Review Committee agreed on a procedure for identifying priorities for its intersessional work, based on a preliminary review of the notifications of final regulatory action to ban or severely restrict chemicals that had been submitted in line with Article 5 of the Convention, with the understanding that the procedure was a work in progress and would be amended in the light of experience gained.

Note from the Secretariat

1. In accordance with Article 18 of the Convention, the Conference of the Parties, at its first meeting, established a subsidiary body, the Chemical Review Committee.

Note from the Secretariat

1. Article 5 of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade provides that when the Secretariat has received at least one notification from each of two prior informed consent (PIC) regions regarding a particular chemical that it has verified meet the requirements of Annex I to the Convention it shall forward them to the Chemical Review Committee. The Committee shall review the information provided in such notifications and, in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex II, recommend to the Conference of the Parties whether the chemical in question should be included in Annex III and a decision guidance document drafted.

Supportign documentation from Bulgaria not available

Note from the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, the supporting documentation provided by Japan in support of its notification of final regulatory action on chrysotile asbestos.

Note from the Secretariat

1. Article 5 of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade provides that when the Secretariat has received at least one notification from each of two prior informed consent (PIC) regions regarding a particular chemical that is has verified meet the requirements of Annex I to the Convention it shall forward them to the Chemical Review Committee. The Committee shall review the information provided in such notifications and, in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex II, recommend to the Conference of the Parties whether the chemical in question should be included in Annex III and a decision guidance document drafted.

Note from the Secretariat

1. The documentation provided by European Community in support of its final regulatory action on methyl parathion was circulated for consideration at the first meeting of the Chemical Review Committee in document UNEP/FAO/PIC/CRC 1/19/Add.4.

Note from the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, the supporting documentation provided by the Dominican Republic in support of its notification of final regulatory action on methyl parathion.

Note from the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, the supporting documentation provided by Guyana in support of its notification of final regulatory action on methyl parathion.

Note from the Secretariat

1. Article 5 of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade provides that when the Secretariat has received at least one notification from each of two prior informed consent (PIC) regions regarding a particular chemical that it has verified meet the requirements of Annex I to the Convention it shall forward them to the Chemical Review Committee. The Committee shall review the information provided in such notifications and, in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex II, recommend to the Conference of the Parties whether the chemical in question should be included in Annex III and a decision guidance document drafted.

Note from the Secretariat

The documentation provided by Canada in support of its final regulatory action on mirex was circulated for consideration at the second meeting of the Chemical Review Committee in document UNEP/FAO/RC/CRC.2/16/Add.1.

Note from the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, the supporting documentation provided by Guyana in support of its notification of final regulatory action on mirex.

Note from the Secretariat

1. Article 5 of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade provides that when the Secretariat has received at least one notification from each of two prior informed consent (PIC) regions regarding a particular chemical that it has verified meet the requirements of Annex I to the Convention it shall forward them to the Chemical Review Committee. The Committee shall review the information provided in such notifications and, in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex II, recommend to the Conference of the Parties whether the chemical in question should be included in Annex III and a decision guidance document drafted.

Note from the Secretariat

1. The documentation provided by Canada in support of its final regulatory action on alachlor was circulated for consideration at the second meeting of the Chemical Review Committee in document UNEP/FAO/RC/CRC.2/10/Add.1.

Note from the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, the supporting documentation provided by the European Community in support of its notification of final regulatory action on alachlor.

Note from the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, the supporting documentation provided by the European Community in support of its notification of final regulatory action on alachlor.

Note from the Secretariat

1. Article 5 of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade provides that when the Secretariat has received at least one notification from each of two prior informed consent (PIC) regions regarding a particular chemical that it has verified meet the requirements of Annex I to the Convention it shall forward them to the Chemical Review Committee. The Committee shall review the information provided in such notifications and, in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex II, recommend to the Conference of the Parties whether the chemical in question should be included in Annex III and a decision guidance document drafted.

Note from the Secretariat

1. Article 5 of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade provides that when the Secretariat has received at least one notification from each of two prior informed consent (PIC) regions regarding a particular chemical that it has verified meet the requirements of Annex I to the Convention it shall forward them to the Chemical Review Committee. The Committee shall review the information provided in such notifications and, in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex II, recommend to the Conference of the Parties whether the chemical in question should be included in Annex III and a decision guidance document drafted.

Note from the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, the supporting documentation provided by the European Community in support of its notification of final regulatory action on carbaryl.

Note from the Secretariat

1. Article 5 of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade provides that when the Secretariat has received at least one notification from each of two prior informed consent (PIC) regions regarding a particular chemical that it has verified meet the requirements of Annex I to the Convention it shall forward them to the Chemical Review Committee. The Committee shall review the information provided in such notifications and, in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex II, recommend to the Conference of the Parties whether the chemical in question should be included in Annex III and a decision guidance document drafted.

Note from the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, the supporting documentation provided by the European Community in support of its notification of final regulatory action on aldicarb.

Note from the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, additional supporting documentation provided by Jamaica in support of its notification of final regulatory action on aldicarb. The material is an excerpt from a survey on the effect of public awareness and use of protective clothing conducted in Jamaica.

I. Opening of the meeting

3. The fourth meeting of the Committee was held at the Varembé Conference Centre in Geneva from 10 to 13 March 2008. The meeting was opened at 10 a.m. on Monday, 10 March 2008, by Ms. Hyacinth Chin Sue (Jamaica), Chair of the Committee.