Strengthening pesticide labeling management, mandating operators to disclose characteristics to enhance usage safety
The COA announced at the end of last year the draft amendment to the Pesticide Labeling Management Regulations, introducing the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). The WTO notification process was recently completed, and only the modification of the labeling sample output system remains to be finished. Once manufacturers complete testing successfully, the regulations can be officially announced and implemented. The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ) of the COA stated that the new pesticide labeling law recognizes that pesticide operators have an obligation to disclose the characteristics of pesticide products, which will provide better protection for the safety of pesticide users.
Zou Hui-chuan, Deputy Director-General of BAPHIQ, pointed out that pesticide products are becoming increasingly diverse, and pesticide management must keep pace with the times. With frequent global trade in chemicals, countries have established relevant regulations to ensure the safety of chemical use, transport and disposal. Taiwan, China currently bases its labeling and management of chemical hazard information on national standard CNS15030. Although CNS15030 was already established in accordance with the GHS, BAPHIQ believes there is a need to further strengthen pesticide labeling management, align with international practices, and enhance the differentiation of individual product characteristics. Therefore, it decided to amend the Pesticide Labeling Management Regulations.
BAPHIQ explained the key points of the amendment to the Pesticide Labeling Management Regulations, including: establishing a labeling sample output operating system to assist operators in marking hazard pictograms and hazard information according to product characteristics; after labeling changes, operators may not replace labels by alteration, sticker correction or repeated pasting; incorporating pesticide mode of action codes and pesticide product barcodes into the required labeling items, and labeling hazard pictograms and hazard precautionary pictograms compliant with the GHS; requiring that instructions must be delivered with every pesticide sale, and stipulating that instructions must not be separated from each retail unit of pesticide; text and graphics must not overlap with the required labeling items, so that users can clearly read the pesticide label; and adding classification and pictograms for acute toxicity of pesticides to bees, to strengthen the management of pesticide hazards to non-target organisms.
Zou Hui-chuan said that regarding the various tasks for the regulatory amendment, all preparatory work is ready except for the labeling sample output operating system, which has not yet been completed. As for whether the labeling sample output operating system is suitable, manufacturers were asked to test it in March this year, but operators raised some opinions, and the system needs further adjustment. It is estimated that manufacturers will be invited to trial it again in June. If there are no problems, BAPHIQ will make a formal announcement.
BAPHIQ pointed out that this regulatory amendment requires pesticide operators to shoulder the obligation of disclosing the characteristics of pesticide products and to provide users with detailed operating instructions to enhance pesticide usage safety. However, after the announcement of the partial amendment to the Pesticide Labeling Management Regulations, operators are given a buffer period of up to 3 years. Zou Hui-chuan explained that after the announcement, there will still be pesticides already manufactured and on sale in the market, and it is impossible to recall them for re-labeling. That is why a 3-year buffer period is given. However, pesticides manufactured after the announcement must be labeled in accordance with the new regulations.
The background band illustration of the hazard precautionary pictograms stipulated in the draft amendment to the Pesticide Labeling Management Regulations.
