New Zealand Food Safety and the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) have signed an agreement that will see the two countries sharing assessments of new products.
New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle says the agreement, signed on 24 November, will provide both countries faster and more efficient access to important new agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines.
“It builds on our existing strong relationship, and, at a practical level, it will mean streamlining workflows, reducing duplication of effort, and delivering faster turnaround times. Australia and New Zealand want to position our region as a market of choice for innovative products that will benefit farmers and the wider community.
APVMA Chief Executive Officer Scott Hansen says that under the agreement, agencies will work together on assessments, cross-training staff, and increasing the efficiency of our regulatory processes.
“Our countries have similar approaches to regulating agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines, so it makes sense for us to increase the scope of our teamwork to our mutual advantage.”
Earlier this year, the Ministry for Regulation’s Agricultural and Horticultural Products Regulatory Review recommended that New Zealand Food Safety should increase its use of international regulators’ assessments to save time and resources.
In parallel, the APVMA has committed to leveraging international partnerships to realise the opportunities for increased efficiency identified by the Australian Government’s Detailed Response.
“This closer collaboration with Australia is a significant step in these processes and will be a blueprint for future agreements with other regulators,” said Mr Arbuckle.
“While each regulator needs to address the specific needs of their legislative frameworks, the opportunity for us to collaborate in addressing these needs is not only a key to improving our productivity, but in ensuring we retain the confidence of both the community and industry,” Mr Hansen concluded.