The “Joint Meeting on Pesticide Specifications” (JMPS) is composed of scientists collectively possessing expert knowledge of the development of specifications. Their opinions and recommendations to FAO/WHO are provided in their individual expert capacities, not as representatives of their countries or organizations. The JMPS is a statutory body of FAO whose Panel Members are appointed by the Director-General. Experts appointed by WHO are drawn from the WHO Panel of Experts on Vector Biology and Control, together with a representative of the WHO/PCS.
The primary function of the JMPS is to produce recommendations to FAO and/or WHO on the adoption, extension, modification or withdrawal of specifications.
FAO and WHO specifications apply only to the products of manufacturers whose technical materials have been evaluated as satisfactory by the JMPS. The corresponding products of other manufacturers must be assessed by the JMPS to ensure that existing FAO/WHO specifications are applicable to them.
The new procedure for the development of specifications, adopted in 1999, made it necessary to develop a process for the determination of equivalence in order to ensure that the products produced by different manufacturers are of the same quality, and that the FAO specifications are applicable. This process of equivalence determination has also its relevance to the registration and control of pesticide.
