- Print Friendly - Help

AgVetLink December 2003 - Special Issue for Registrants

Previous page  | Contents |  Next page

---

Products that now require registration

Some products that are covered by the ACVM Act were not covered under the previous legislation. The products now covered include groups such as plant compound adjuvents (including wetting and sticking agents), pH buffers, drift retardants, and water conditioners.

Most products are already covered by the exemption Regulations but, if they are not, proprietors need to be aware that the transitional provisions of the ACVM Act expire on 2 July 2004.

The transitional provisions allowed for any substance that was legally existing to continue to be imported, manufactured, sold or used for a period of three years following the implementation of the ACVM Act.

The ACVM Group is using this opportunity to encourage any registrants to check any non-registered products to ensure that they do not require registration under the ACVM Act. Registrations must be approved by 2 July 2004 to enable the products to continue to be imported, manufactured, sold or used.

A detailed article in this edition of AgVetLink covers the compliance process to be used for unregistered products (that are not exempted) after 2 July 2004 (see page 5).

Any registrants affected are encouraged to discuss concerns with the ACVM Group. Some of these products will also be affected by the HSNO Act and there is room for providing flexibility on labelling for an initial two year period where needed. Registration will require the usual application for registration of a new product, but there may be limited information required where the ACVM Act risks are low.

The ACVM Group will be writing to all parties who have undertaken class determinations for products in this category to remind them of their obligations under the ACVM Act.

Biosecurity approvals

A large number of products have had no reassessment of their biosecurity risk since their original importation. Because registration of a product releases it at the border for biosecurity purposes, it is important that, for a product registered prior to 1999, a new approval is sought from MAF Biosecurity before products con-taining biological com-ponents are updated. To reduce the number of applications on hold at the ACVM Group, re-member to renew bio-security approvals or at least make an application prior to submitting pro-ducts for update.

Note for registrant companies: change to invoice date for annual fees

Each year the ACVM Group collects annual fees for each registered product and each product of an agricultural compound listed in Schedule 3. This annual charge, paid in advance, is an amount that covers a 12 month period from 1 July to 30 June of any given year.

Historically, this charge has been collected from the issue of invoices in July of each year and monies are collected over the subsequent months. This has resulted in various problems from the non-payment of fees through to part-refunds due to timing of cancellations.

Consequently, in line with section 4(3) of the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (Fees and Charges) Regulations 2002, payment of annual fees will now be required to be paid in advance of 1 July each year. Where payment has NOT been received before 1 July, the trade name products and products listed as agricultural compounds in Schedule 3 will be prohibited from being imported or manufactured and will incur appropriate penalties as described in the ACVM debt management process.