Africa Regulatory News

The latest update of the Pest Control Products Bill, 2022 was published in Kenya in April 2022. It represents an urgent update to the existing Kenyan pesticide regulation. After various analyses, i...

The latest update of the Pest Control Products Bill, 2022 was published in Kenya in April 2022. It represents an urgent update to the existing Kenyan pesticide regulation.

After various analyses, it has been found that Kenya was exporting food and other kinds of products containing pesticide residues above the maximum allowable levels. The study was conducted by renowned organization Kenya Organic Agriculture Network. During their study, they found an excess level of acephate in some samples of tomatoes that were collected from Kirinyaga County. Acephate is an endocrine disruptor that possibly has some carcinogenic and neurotoxicant effects.

If the proposal is amended, Kenya will have to promote Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), as per the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).  The main aim of GAPs is to improve the quality, safety, and sustainability of food and agricultural products and at the same time maintain environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

The function of the pesticidal regulation is to set a limit for the residue allowed in foods or animal feeds i.e., Maximum Residual Limit (MRL) as per international standards. The government of Kenya has put a limitation on the active ingredient only, which has heavy curtailment on other jurisdictions and halts adaptation of GAPs.

In short, the pesticide legislation in Kenya does not provide the legal basis for urgent and comprehensive action against the negative effects of these harmful chemicals’ environment. Therefore, the Kenyan authorities must fast-track the passage of the proposed Pest Control Product Bill, 2022 and implement GAP as soon as possible.

The International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) has announced a new four-year pilot project between four African countries. These four African countries, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, and...

The International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) has announced a new four-year pilot project between four African countries. These four African countries, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria collaborated to start a project that will improve their chemicals management and more specifically, improve their national implementation of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).

Launched on April 4, 2022, this project is a collaboration between the European Union, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), and the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), who will all work as partners with each concerned country’s government.

The implementation of GHS is a long process that needs several years to be put in place and the next four years will be used for this pilot project. According to Marco Mensink, the Council Secretary of ICCA, the pilot project will test and evaluate the benefits of a long-term approach in supporting countries through the implementation and adoption process.

The key activities of the project include setting the legislation for GHS implementation, required training and guidance as well as the needed tools for implementation. In Africa, only three countries have implemented GHS so far and these countries are Mauritius, South Africa, and Zambia.

Also, Rwanda recently started the process to implement GHS. A notification of the draft standard was sent to WTO and the feedback was opened till March 17, 2022. The draft first edition can be viewed here.

Two Non-Governmental Organizations conducted tests on toys and other consumer products found on sale in African and Arab countries. A report published on May 24, 2022, shows that the tests discovered ...

Two Non-Governmental Organizations conducted tests on toys and other consumer products found on sale in African and Arab countries. A report published on May 24, 2022, shows that the tests discovered about 20% of the sampled products contain high levels of toxic flame retardant chemicals and brominated dioxins, including substances that are banned under international agreements.

The concerned products that tested positive for the highest concentrations of brominated flame retardants (BFRs), brominated dioxins, and other toxic chemicals include:

1. Toys; a toy car and two other toys purchased in Jordan and a toy purchased in Ethiopia
2. A kitchen knife, purchased in Tunisia
3. Office supply: a cup for pencils purchased in Tanzania
4. Hair accessories; two purchased in Morocco and three purchased in Kenya

According to the Association de l'EducationEnvironnementale pour les Futures Générations (AEEFG), studies have shown that these chemicals cause cancer, infertility, and harm to children’s brain development among other serious health problems. Knowing that plastics can destroy the circular economy, there is a need for stricter POPs limits in the world. Some other tests were also done, all of which confirmed the existence of toxic substances in the products. All the tested products are made from recycled plastics and are present in 11 countries across the two regions. The 11 countries include Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Jordan, Kenya, Morocco, Syria, Tanzania, and Tunisia.

There is currently no limit for BFRs content in products and waste in African and Arab countries. There is however an urgent need to set a regulating limit in place.

IPEN and Arnika together with eleven other organizations produced this study and their recommendations include:

1. To apply stricter low POPs Content Levels (LPCLs) to waste; this will prevent the flow of e-waste and End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) plastic into the new products that are made from recycled plastics.
2. To ban e-waste and ELVs plastics that contain a high level of toxic flame retardants from the recycling chain.
3. To stop listing BFRs as individual substances and make them a class under the Stockholm Convention. Listing them individually will keep putting human health at risk.
4. To add brominated dioxins to the list of unintentionally produced POPs that are regulated by the Stockholm Convention.

South Africa opened a consultation until April 29, 2022, to consult on the migration limits for 19 substances used in toy production. This new draft standard is aimed at upgrading South Africa’s toy...

South Africa opened a consultation until April 29, 2022, to consult on the migration limits for 19 substances used in toy production. This new draft standard is aimed at upgrading South Africa’s toy regulations to sync with the EU’s latest regulatory updates for toys. This draft, SANS 50071-3 Ed 2 will fit with EN 71-3:2019 standard in the EU and will address the requirements and test methods for the migration of the concerned 19 substances. In the draft, toys are categorised into three with specific migration limits, all based on the possibility of substance intake. The three categories include:

Category I: Dry, brittle, powder like or pliable materials

Category II: Liquid or sticky materials

Category III: Scraped-off materials

Liquid toys can be easily ingested, therefore, this category has the weightiest limits while the ingestion rate for plastics is lower, thereby classifying them in the category with the least weighty limits. The concerned 19 substances are aluminium, antimony, arsenic, barium, boron, cadmium, chromium (III), chromium (VI), cobalt, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, organic tin, selenium, strontium, tin, and zinc. It is important to note that this standard does not apply to toys that have no hazard from sucking, licking, swallowing or long period of skin contact with them. South Africa has also opened consultations for some standards which include mechanical and physical properties test requirements and methods, prohibited flammable materials in toys and requirements for flammability of toys, requirements and test methods for substances and materials used in toys, requirements and test methods for trampolines (used domestically), and their access devices and enclosures (used both outdoor and/or indoor).

The opened consultation (now closed) of this draft standard significantly indicates the upcoming changes to expect in South Africa. The full draft can be viewed here. 

The 2022 World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) will hold in October, in Kigali, Rwanda. This will be hosted by the Republic of Rwanda, the African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) and The Finnish Innova...

The 2022 World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) will hold in October, in Kigali, Rwanda. This will be hosted by the Republic of Rwanda, the African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) and The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra.

Africa is gradually moving towards developing its chemical sector and one of such moves is aimed at enhancing a circular economy. Through WCEF2022, Rwanda aims to showcase Africa’s interest in developing the region for a circular economy. This was affirmed by the Minister of Environment in Rwanda, Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya.  Finland agrees with this new development, confirming Africa as a vast continent that plays a significant role in having a global circular economy. Therefore, hosting the event in Africa is a good step for the global world.

Rwanda is a landlocked country in Central Africa where there is the convergence of the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa. Rwanda is a founding member and Co-chair of the African Circular Economy Alliance. It has also been at the forefront of the transition process to a Circular Economy in Africa and the world at large. Moreover, the country recently developed its first Circular Economy Action Plan.