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Approvals and ACVM Group Overview

December 2009

The Approvals and ACVM Group is responsible for developing, implementing and confirming compliance to the New Zealand approvals processes under the:

• Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Act 1997

• Animal Products Act 1999

• Food Act 1981

• Wine Act 2003.

In regard to the ACVM Act, this means:

• authorising ACVM products and monitoring their importation, manufacture, sale and use

• developing, implementing, evaluating and reviewing standards relating to agricultural chemicals, veterinary medicines and maximum residue limits (MRLs)

• maintaining public registers/lists

• confirming compliance and investigating non-compliance.

With the support of the Executive Management team, the Group focuses on three other core functions:

• Standards

• Approvals

• Conformance.

Standards team

The key outputs of this team are:

• to produce the standards/rules (in consultation with interested parties) by which agricultural compounds and trade name products will be authorised so that they can be imported, manufactured, sold or used

• to provide technical advice and support

• to influence international initiatives to harmonise requirements for assessment and registration.

Approvals team

The key outputs of this team are:

• to appraise applications for registration of ACVM products in accordance with information requirements set by the Standards team

• to process applications for ‘approval in special circumstances’

• to provide inputs to the Standards and Conformance outputs as required.

Conformance team

The key outputs of this team are:

• to approve and audit people and processes

• to verify compliance with conditions of registration or exemption from registration

• to investigate non-compliance and take action if necessary.