1. Opening of the session.

2. Organizational matters:

Note by the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to transmit to the Chemical Review Committee, in the annex to the present note, information for the third meeting of the Committee prepared by the Chair of the Committee, Ms. Bettina Hitzfeld (Switzerland). :

Note by the Secretariat

1. The purpose of the present note is to provide the Chemical Review Committee with an overview of the guidance, action items and decisions relevant to its work that resulted from the deliberations of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention at its third meeting, held in Geneva from 9 to 13 October 2006. The report of the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties (UNEP/FAO/RC/COP.3/26) was circulated in December 2006 and posted on the Rotterdam Convention website (www.pic.int). :

Note by the Secretariat

A. Background 1. At its first meeting, the Chemical Review Committee considered a working paper on bridging information that would be used by the Committee to judge the acceptability of a notification where the notifying country had used a risk evaluation from another country or international body. As noted in paragraphs 33–35 of the report of that meeting (UNEP/FAO/RC/CRC.1/28), the Committee adopted the paper on the understanding that it would be applied on a case-by-case basis and that it would be developed further in the light of future experience. :

Note by the Secretariat

1. At its first session, the Chemical Review Committee adopted a working paper on preparing internal proposals and decision guidance documents for banned or severely restricted chemicals, on the understanding that it would be updated in the light of experience gained in its application. :

Note by the Secretariat

Background 1. At its second meeting, the Chemical Review Committee considered a draft working paper on the application of criteria (b) (i), (b) (ii) and (b) (iii) of Annex II of the Rotterdam Convention, contained in the annex to document UNEP/FAO/RC/CRC.2/7, which summarized the findings of two task groups established by the Committee at its first meeting. At the second meeting, the Committee commended the Secretariat on the paper and agreed to revise it in the light of experience gained in reviewing notifications of final regulatory action. As noted in paragraphs 32–36 of the report of the second meeting (UNEP/FAO/RC/CRC.2/20), the Committee also identified further examples of notifications of final regulatory actions that were to be included in the working paper. :

Note by the Secretariat

1. At its second meeting, the Chemical Review Committee considered a paper that set out a procedure for identifying priorities for the intersessional work of the Committee, based on a preliminary review of the notifications of final regulatory action to ban or severely restrict chemicals submitted in line with Article 5 of the Convention (UNEP/FAO/RC/CRC.2/6). As noted in paragraphs 27–31 of the report of the second meeting (UNEP/FAO/RC/CRC.2/20), the Committee agreed in general on the procedure set out in the paper, on the understanding that it was a work in progress and would be amended in the light of experience gained. :

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

Documentation provided by Canada in support of its final regulatory action on benzidine and its salts was circulated for the consideration of the Chemical Review Committee at its first meeting in document UNEP/FAO/CRC.1/23/Add. 6. :

Note by the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, documentation received from Switzerland in support of its notification of final regulatory action on benzidine and its salts. :

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

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, correspondence received from Canada in support of its notification of final regulatory action on endrin. :

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

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, documentation received from the European Commission to support its notification of final regulatory action on endosulfan. :

Note by the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, documentation received from the European Commission to support its notification of final regulatory action on endosulfan. :

Note by the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, documentation received from the European Commission to support its notification of final regulatory action on 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

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, documentation received from Nigeria in support of its notification of final regulatory action on methamidophos.

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

1. The supporting 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 by the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, documentation received from Switzerland in support of its notification of final regulatory action on mirex.

Note by the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, documentation received from Thailand in support of its notification of final regulatory action on mirex.

Note by the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to provide, in the annex to the present note, information received from Japan in support of its notification of final regulatory action on mirex.

Note by the Secretariat

1. At its second session, the Chemical Review Committee reviewed the notifications of final regulatory actions for endosulfan from the Netherlands and Thailand, 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 second meeting, the Chemical Review Committee reviewed the notifications of final regulatory actions for tributyltin compounds from Canada and the European Community, 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.

I. Opening of the meeting

3. The third meeting of the Committee was held at the Headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome from 20 to 23 March 2007. The meeting was opened at 10.05 a.m. on Tuesday, 20 March 2007, by Ms. Bettina Hitzfeld (Switzerland), Chair of the Committee

Item 1. Opening of the meeting

1. The third meeting of the Chemical Review Committee, to be held from 20 to 23 March 2007 at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, will be opened at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 20 March 2007. :