We recently reported that a federal judge had ordered the national health surveillance agency, the Anvisa, to complete its reassessments of the remaining active ingredients in its 14 pesticides review. What is happening? Is this legal order being contested? Silvia Fagnani: There are six remaining pesticide active ingredients to be assessed in the review. The programme started in 2008 with 120 days set for its completion, which was impossible. Only eight were completed by last year. In 2014, a federal judge ordered that the assessments be completed within 180 days or the products’ sales be suspended. [the six remaining ais in the review include: the herbicides, glyphosate, lactofen and paraquat; the fungicide, thiram; the insecticide, carbofuran; and the acaricide/insecticide, abamectin] SF: Sindiveg made a presentation at the court. We said “180 days would be impossible and they should not suspend products as there no reason to do so”. Then this year, another judge ordered the reassessments be concluded within 90 days (by September 23rd), but said nothing about [right to] sales. We have requested a longer term to the deadline, but have not yet received a response. The Anvisa has also requested this. It is impossible to complete in less than six months. I believe the courts will be reasonable [and allow an extension] as there are lots of technical materials to assess.
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