Domestic chemical regulator behavior and international influences

• In Event: How Do Governance Mechanisms for Science and Technology Travel Across Borders? 1

Abstract

The process of regulating chemicals is an ongoing dialogue that has implications for relations between governments, rulemakers, industry, and the community. A chemical regulatory regime must balance the risks and hazards of chemical use with their economic benefits, ease of access, and efficient trade.

While chemical regulators are responsible for their own jurisdictions, they must also be mindful of the actions of overseas regulators, foreign stakeholders, and the global scientific community. This is particularly important given the rise of global issue networks, novel regulatory challenges like nanoparticles and endocrine disrupters, and the push for regulatory upheaval led by the European Union's REACH regulations.

We compiled the regulatory documents originating from Australia and Canada relating to the re-evaluation of two pesticides: endosulfan and atrazine. Using content analysis, we compared the respective substances' trajectories in both countries and investigated the external vectors of influence the two regulators discussed when making key decisions and utilising various tools like the precautionary principle and hazard-based approaches. We investigated how these patterns could be impacted by levels of uncertainty, international developments, nature of evidence, and the state of domestic use patterns.

Our results suggest that Australian and Canadian agricultural chemical regulators keep a constant eye on a range of external developments, however there is no uniform pattern as to whether these developments are regarded or, in many cases, regarded in the same way between regulators. This has implications for understanding the variations that can occur between communities of technical practitioners who share disciplinary backgrounds.

Authors

• Stefan Lodewyckx, Swinburne University of Technology

• Erica Coslor, The University of Melbourne