NATIONAL REPORT LEBANON Ministry of Agriculture, Eng. Halima Itani Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Raymond Semaan

1. INTER-COUNTRY WORKSHOP ON PUBLIC HEALTH PESTICIDES MANAGEMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE STOCKHOLM CONVENTION ON PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (POPS)Amman, Jordan, 7 – 11 December, ‏2003 NATIONAL REPORT LEBANON Ministry of Agriculture, Eng. Halima Itani Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Raymond Semaan

2. Main Points • Legislations • Pesticide Registration • Management

3. Ministry of Public Health • Law #11/78 dated 24/04/1978 is the Regulation of import and the business of selling, packaging, repacking, formulating, manufacturing and spraying of home used pesticides and rodenticides. The approval for a pesticide is given only to companies having the permit to work in any or all of the above mentioned business related to pesticides; however they should submit the following: • Their permit number • Certificate of analysis for the pesticide from an approved institution signed and legalized • Three pesticide samples and the recommendations of use. • Certificate of use for the imported pesticide in country of origin • Law # 14538 dated 16/03/1949, states the ways of controlling malaria disease and flies by the use of DDT (no decree is found for the permit or banning of DDT at the Ministry of public health) • Decree # 210/1 dated 11/04/1978, states the banning of Malathion.

4. Pesticides sold in Lebanon have to be well labeled, thus mentioning the following information: Name of producer or importer, trade name, common name and chemical name, percentage active ingredient, date of production, toxicity, name of insects or rodents that can be controlled by this pesticide, way of use, toxicity of the chemical on human and animal health, safety precautions, type of needed antidote. • Pesticides other than being well labeled, they have to be in containers that are not breakable or degradable. Pesticides are not allowed to be sold in places of selling food and feed stuff. Pesticide empty containers are not allowed to be used for any other purpose. • Inspection is done via doctors, health engineers and pharmacy inspectors working at the ministry of public health and municipalities

5. Malaria Situation in Lebanon No local malaria cases have been found in Lebanon during the past three years; yet, all the declared cases (Table 1) are that of Lebanese people coming from Africa or other infected countries.

6. Table1: Statistical Report of malaria control (From 1997 to 2003)

7. Type of Plasmodium

8. The difficulties and constraints encountered are still chronic and recurrent such as: • Lack of personal (because of retirement) • Budget needed • Vehicles • Health workers • Entomologists • Trainers for training courses

9. Ministry of Agriculture • Decree # 29/1 dated 07/02/1995, related to pesticide registration and use, it includes a registration application form to be filled by the importing company, the information stated are related to: trade name, common name, chemical name, percentage active ingredient, type of formulation, family, use, mode of action, rate of use, scope of use, mixing possibilities, toxicity, LD50, antidote, effect on environment, pre harvest period, package size and kind, storage period, name of countries that allow the use of this pesticide, maximum residue limits, methods of analysis, name of manufacturer, name of importer, label to be put on container (this regulation is out dated and is updated, will include the fill in of registration form by the manufacturing company in addition to supplying all the documents on toxicology and environmental and analysis data that were done by them on the specific formulation)

10. Pesticide import, distribution, local formulation and use of pesticides are governed by laws and regulations. • Decree # 137/1 dated 06/11/1991, related to the specifications and data needed for a company to have permit of import, selling formulation, re-packaging, manufacturing and spraying of pesticides in Lebanon (undergoing updating due to new issues evolving in this aspect related to good packaging, storage, and transport of pesticides under environmentally safe practices). • Decree # 29/1 dated 07/02/1995, related to pesticide registration and use. So all pesticides imported into Lebanon have to be registered before importing procedures. • Decree # 254/1 dated 30/05/1997, related to import permit of pesticides. So an importing company that need to import any of its registered pesticides have to present an import application stating in it the amount to be imported and the package size together with a Performa invoice from the company of origin.

11. Decree #92/1 dated 20/05/1998, related to the specification and information that need to be present on the label of pesticide to be sold in Lebanon, this was done according to the FAO guidelines on good labeling practices. Information shown are: Trade name, name of active ingredient(s) & the percentage, type of formulation, Rate of use, Crops & Pests, PHI, (WHO recommended classification of Pesticides by hazards and Guidelines to classification 2000-01) all necessary hazard symbols and precaution statements. All these information have to be written in Arabic in addition to another language if possible. • Decree #94/1 dated 20/05/1998, list of banned pesticides in Lebanon (around 109 active ingredients). These pesticides are not allowed to enter or to be used in Lebanon. Also Decree #262/1 dated 26/09/2001, additional 3 banned pesticides in Lebanon these are: Monocrotophos, lindane and methyl parathion. Restricted use of pesticides is not applicable in Lebanon, since we lack the process of regular inspection and the man power to do the job, that is why we rely on the banning of any pesticide that has been banned in EU or EPA for its toxic or carcinogenic effect or harmful effect to human &/or environment. And we do regular updating of the list of banned pesticides.

12. Monitoring & Surveillance of Pesticides Very little is done and thus a project need to be formed covering: • Laboratory establishment for formulation and residue analysis (present but need help), Quality control. • Inspection and surveillance on pesticide selling places and local re-packers and formulators, also the storage places of importers. • Awareness and extension programs at farmer and public levels are needed, farmers are not much aware of the good protective equipment that needed to be used when handling pesticides, also concerning the type of pesticide to be used and the rates and the mixing or alternated use of different type of pesticides for a specific crop at the right time. • Empty containers of pesticides is another big problem, every year around 610 tons (old statistics year 1996, FAO according to an average yearly import of 1000 Tons) nowadays expected to have larger number since average yearly import has doubled 2422.5 Tons. I stress the importance of having an inventory for the unused stocks of pesticides (around 8.4 tons/yr according to statistics of year 1996) and empty containers, since the industry is not aware of its importance to protect our environment.

13. For this to be done there is a need for better collaboration between the ministry and the local importing companies and all other related organizations on the subjects of: • Post registration surveillance • Monitoring studies in order for us to determine the fate of pesticides and their effect on health and environment under field conditions.

14. Thank You