Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences

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1 Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences Department of Crop Protection Erik Kirknel Implementation of small equipment in pesticide residue laboratories in The Three Baltic Countries Final Report to The Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries for Funding of Projects in Central and Eastern Europe March 1999

2 Content Page: 1. List of Abbreviations 3 2. Summary of Project activities 3 3. Project Background 3 4. Project Objectives The Wider Objectives The Specific Objectives 5 5. General Remarks Project Geographic Area Project Partners in Recipient Countries Danish Project Partners Purchased Equipment Dissemination Effect Impact on the Environment Impact on The Danish Industry 8 6. Status for Activities 9 7. Evaluation From Partners 9 8. Evaluation of Project Sustainability 9 9. Agreement between Partners Conditions for procured articles Gained experiences Future proposals Date and Signature 10 Annex A Signed Agreements From The Laboratories 11 2

3 1. List of Abbreviations DIAS VAT EU EEC Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences Value Added Tax European Union European Economic Community 2. Summary of Project activities Purchase of necessary small equipment used for pesticide residue analysis in seven pesticide residue laboratories in The Three Baltic Countries has been supported in the period October 6, to December Project Background 3.1 Project Justification This project is part of a much wider programme aimed at developing and implementing crop protection strategies that will contribute to environmentally and economically sound agricultural production in the Baltic Countries and Poland. The Council Directives 91/414/EEC (concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market) and 93/99/EEC (on the subject of additional measures concerning the official control of foodstuffs) describe the requirement for well functioning chemical pesticide residue laboratories in member states, in order to be able to bring pesticides through the national registration process and to monitor foodstuffs on the market for residues of pesticides. In Denmark, these two activities are under the auspices of The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries. It is, therefore, a natural part of the Environmental Related Sector Programme of the Danish state s East Assistance Programme. This project aims at implementing small, urgent needed equipment so that modern techniques and methodologies, complying with EU requirements, can be used in the laboratories. This will work towards enabling pesticide residue laboratories in The Three Baltic Countries in the future to meet the EU standards in this field. It is expected that an application for support for a wider project, including larger equipment, cooperation between laboratories, will be submitted to the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, East Assistance Office in early

4 3.2 Background The Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries requested a survey to be carried out by The Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences (DIAS) in late 1997 and early 1998 to assess the need for support and possibilities of co-operation in the process of harmonisation to the EU directives. The survey covered efficacy testing system for pesticides, quality assurance systems and residue analysis for pesticides suitable for the purpose of registration and monitoring of pesticides in food, as well as a basis for providing advice to farmers based on environmentally sound agricultural production principles. Relevant chemical pesticide residue laboratories in The Three Baltic Countries and Poland were visited (see the Final reports for the project: Project Identification in The Three Baltic Countries and Poland in the Environment Related sector Programme). Within the area of chemical pesticide residues, the following areas of co-operation were identified: 1. Training of chemists 2. New equipment 3. General Co-operation between the Nordic countries, the Baltic Countries and Poland 4. Support to formulation of development plans for future activities in pesticide residue work The survey revealed a strong wish and a pronounced need for co-operation on all four subjects. The four reports: Identification of possible partners (in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland) in environmental related sector programmes of the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries revealed a clear need and wish for new equipment necessary for pesticide residue analysis. Equipment and methodologies are very closely related in modern chemistry in general and this is also the case in the Baltic countries and Poland. Laboratories employ chemists that are skilled in methodologies and use of equipment which are in use at the present. These are out of date and inadequate to meet the EU standards. During the project identification mission it was realised that there is a general need for purchase of modern equipment for laboratories. The quality and quantity of equipment needed varied, however, at the various laboratories. It was not possible during the mission to make a specific identification of needs. The equipment available at present is in general old equipment from the Soviet Union era - often years old and in most cases practically worn out. Chemists must be informed of the availability and options of newer equipment which will enable them to meet the EU standards. This is a prerequisite for the harmonisation process for the EU. An identification mission for small necessary equipment for doing basic pesticide residue analysis was made to The Three Baltic Countries, August 31 to September 4. The report from this mission to the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries: 4

5 Funding of Projects in Central and Eastern Europe, Training of Pesticide Residue Chemists from The Three Baltic Countries and Poland. Phase 1 Report on activity 2 (Identification of Necessary Equipment and Elaboration of Short Term Work Plans, Poland not included), reveals an urgent need for small equipment used in pesticide residue analysis in food, soil, water and other agricultural related matrixes as identification and quantification of old pesticides. 8 laboratories were visited, 7 responded positively on co-operation in implementing identified small equipment. DIAS and representatives from the laboratories have had technical meetings where requested equipment have been discussed. The final decission is documented in annex C of this report. Due to the time of the fiscal year, the ability of self-finance varied between the laboratories, from 20 to 50%. After receiving commitments from partners, it was revealed that minor adjustments was necessary in the budgets due to different practices of refunding VAT. The amounts in the committing documents are not exactly the same as in the application. 4. Project Objectives 4.1 Wider Objectives The main development objective is to promote the environmentally safe use of pesticides in The Three Baltic Countries and Poland and to contribute to the process of harmonisation with relevant EU directives. The immediate objective of this project is to support pesticide residue laboratories in Poland in the process of harmonisation with relevant EU directives. 4.2 Specific Objective The specific objective of the project includes: support to implementation of necessary small equipment used for pesticide residue analysis in laboratories in The Three Baltic Countries. 5

6 5. General Remarks 5.1 Project Geographic area The project has been performed in Estonia (Tallinn and Saku), Latvia (Riga) and Lithuania (Vilnius and Kaunas). 5.2 Project Partners in Recipient Country Estonia Ministry of Social Affairs, Health Protection Inspectorate, Central Laboratory of Chemistry. Dr Aare Laht, Kotka 2, EE-0013 Tallinn Phone/Fax: Ministry of Agriculture Estonian Control Centre of Plant Production, Dr. Merike Toome, Teaduse 6, EE-3400 Saku Phone: and Fax: Latvia Ministry of Agriculture State Scientific Production Enterprise "Raziba", Director Martins Busmanis, 14a Strukturu iela, LV-1039 Riga Phone: Fax: timbare@raziba.apollo.lv 6

7 Ministry of Agriculture Latvian State Centre for Veterinary Medical Diagnostics Director Rafaels Joffe 3 Lejupes street LV-1076 Riga, Phone/Fax: vvdc@latnet.lv Lithuania The Ministry of Science and Education Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture. Agrochemical Research Centre, Director Kristinas Matusevicius Savanoriu ave LT-3009 Kaunas Phone: Fax: Director A. Razukas The Ministry of Science and Education The Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture, Traku Voké, 4005, Vilnius distr., Vilnius Phone: Fax: voke.fil@ktl.mii.lt Ministry of Health National Nutrition Centre, Central Laboratory, Director Dr. K.Kadziauskienë Kalvariju 153, 2042 Vilnius Phone: or (common laboratory phone) Fax: rmc@post.omnitel.net 7

8 5.3 Danish Project Partners None 5.4 Purchased Equipment All equipment listed in Annex C of the application Implementation of small equipment in pesticide residue laboratories in The Three Baltic Countries, (93s ) has been purchased. Invoices for received equipment have been received and paid. Statements from the leaders of the laboratory for receiving the equipment has been received (Annex A). Deviations from the applied equipment to the actual purchased, was only due to choosing of equal alternatives. This happened only in very few cases. 5.5 Dissemination Effect The concept and spirit in the EU directives will spread to other laboratories in the regions and to neighbouring countries. This implies especially modern analytical equipment. 5.6 Impact on The Environment A modern well functioning analytical tool for pesticide residue analysis is a must in order to reduce the amount of pesticide used in primary crop production and to reveal unintended presence of pesticides in food and the environment. This is the basis for decision making of the use of any pesticide. A modern sensitive analytical tool and the results generated, will lead to increased attention to the presence of pesticides in food and the environment by the public and the producers of agricultural products. Furthermore, as modern analytical methods require considerably reduced amounts of organic solvents a reduction of the burden on the environment will be achieved. This is especially relevant in the regions where no public combustion of waste is established. 5.7 Impact on The Danish Industry The equipment purchased was only from well known supply houses by which the laboratories were confident. Danish equipment is not visible in the Baltic countries. Visits to Danish laboratories by trainees, will introduce them to Danish analytical equipment of which there are only few. But Danish supply houses are able to supply most equipment in this area. 8

9 6. Status for Activities All equipment has been purchased before December This was the condition for utilising the granted economic resources. It should be mentioned, that the period allowed for purchasing was extremely small and a stress for laboratories and supply houses! Only 2 months was available in an area where purchasing normally takes many months. 7. Evaluation from Partners The equipment has been selected by partners (accepted by DIAS) and this should guarantee full satisfaction of the partner. No constraint was put on the laboratories other than the time available for purchase. 8. Evaluation of Project Sustainability One of the primary tasks for DIAS, was to identify partners who will be the laboratories utilised officially in pesticide residue analysis in food in the future. For Estonia it seems likely that the partners in the project will be on stage in the future. The national process of selecting laboratories for pesticide residue analysis in food, is considered at its end stage for the coming years. In Latvia the situation is likely to be such that only one of the partner laboratories in this project will be doing pesticide residue analysis in food in the future. This has been decided by the Ministry of Agriculture in Latvia. A laboratory within the Ministry of Health has been identified for future co-operation. The situation in Lithuania is under development. The project had revealed some partners ability and willingness to support the future activities. The limited investments so far has been very well placed. A spin-off has been a deeper insight in the national functions of these laboratories, which was not available when the project started. The project has been developed in close collaboration with the national authorities, this means the different ministries. Especially in Latvia I feel we have been part of this development. The project only consisted of implementation of small equipment urgently needed and sustainability at this point is difficult to evaluate. 9. Agreement between Partners No special agreement between partners was made. 9

10 10. Conditions for Procured articles In the document of October 6, 1998, from The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries to DIAS regarding granting of application 93S , September 29, 1998 is stated (translated from Danish to English):.. It is furthermore a condition (for the grant ) that the part of the equipment granted by the East Assistance Office, at the end of the project period will be transferred to the responsible leaders of the laboratories, not be sold but used for pesticide residue analysis. This must be declared by the signature of the leader of the laboratories. The declarations from the seven laboratories are reproduced in annex A 11. Gained experiences It is a general impression that pesticide residue laboratories in the three Baltic countries are in great need for support in equipment. The laboratories are well aware of what is on the market. Technical support from the supplier of larger instrumentation is a problem. 12. Future Proposals Application 93S-E , which has been granted, will develop plans for future activities. 13. Date and Signature Flakkebjerg March 13, Erik Kirknel 10

11 Annex A Signed agreements from the laboratories 11

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