Prior Informed Consent

Prior Informed Consent (PIC) aims to provide developing countries with information about bans or severe restrictions imposed by governments on a chemical due to health or environmental concerns. After a chemical is included on the PIC list, governments have the right to prohibit its import.

The PIC initiative is operated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). The development and implementation of PIC has been a cooperative program between governments and FAO and UNEP. In December 1989, the Rotterdam Convention created the international framework of PIC. In 1996, negotiation of an international legally binding convention for PIC was initiated. A Diplomatic Conference was held in Rotterdam in September 1998 for governments to sign the convention, at which time 61 countries signed. Fifty countries must now ratify the instrument before it will enter into force.

PIC provides countries with information in the form of Decision Guidance Documents (DGDs) on pesticides and chemicals. Designated National Authorities of importing countries are required to assess the potential risks associated with continued importation of these pesticides and chemicals. PIC is viewed as an interim measure until all countries have established effective regulatory infrastructures.

The development and implementation of PIC were monitored by CropLife International for the crop protection industry and by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) for the chemical industry. CropLife International has actively supported the FAO Code of Conduct, and has made compliance with the FAO Code by national associations and their members a condition of membership. The crop protection industry will continue to assist and encourage individual countries and the FAO to establish effective registration schemes where they do not already exist. As a member of CropLife, Dow AgroSciences fully supports the scope of Prior Informed Consent.

Chlorpyrifos is not listed on PIC.