Letter to Brazil concerning amendment to weaken pesticide controls

In June 2018, several Special Rapporteurs addressed a letter to Brazil (OL BRA 5/2018) concerning the Project of Law (PL), 6.299/2002 which seeks to amend Law No. 7.802 of 11 July 1989. This law concerns the research, experimentation, production, packaging and labeling, transportation, storage, commercialization, commercial advertisement, use, import, export, and final destination of wastes. The law also deals with the packaging, registration, classification, control, and inspection of pesticides. The proposed amendments threatened to significantly weaken the criteria for approving the experimental and commercial use of pesticides, posing threats to a number of human rights.

The Special Rapporteurs raised several concerns relating to the proposed framework for the registration, use and commercialization of pesticides. They expressed concerns about the authorization and use of pesticides linked to cancer, birth defects and other adverse health outcomes, particularly for children. They pointed out gaps in the proposed regulatory framework for pesticides. They also called attention to the import and export of prohibited or banned pesticides, and other contextual concerns.

Read the letter (OL BRA 5/2018)

Read the response from the Government of 28 Aug 2018