` ROBERT BLACK & BIOSECURITY EXPERTS

Consultant in Biosecurity Law and Regulation [Updated September 2009]

Specialising in legal and regulatory frameworks for health and environmental protection:

  1. Pesticides control, plant and animal health/quarantine, food safety
  2. Risk assessment methodologies for pests and non-native organisms
  3. Teaching and training

Work experience in following countries: Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, PR China, Ethiopia, Republic of Georgia, Ghana, Italy, Honduras, India, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, FYR Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nepal, Poland, Reunion, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, St Helena, St Vincent and Grenadines, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, United Kingdom

Qualifications

  • BA Hons. Agriculture (Oxon.) 1971
  • PhD Soil Microbiology (Stirling) 1974
  • Common Professional Examination, Nottingham Law School 1997
  • LLM (Research), University of Greenwich, 1999

Key to Consultancy and Training Experience

Employment History

September 2006 - present
Professional Associate, Natural Resources Institute (formal recognition as independent consultant after retirement)

September 2004 - August 2006 (early retirement)
Reader in Biosecurity Law and Risk Assessment, Department of Law, University of Greenwich, UK

September 2004-May 2006
Member of Scientific Panel on Plant Health, Plant Protection Products and their Residues (PPR Panel) of European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

September 2002 - August 2004
Senior Lecturer, Department of Law, University of Greenwich, UK

October 1997 - August 2002
Principal Scientist, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, UK

June 1990 - September 1997
Senior Scientific Officer, NRI, Kent, UK

1980-1990
Plant Pathologist, UK Overseas Development Administration in positions in Thailand (1980-85), Belize (1986-1989) and UK (1989-90).

1976-1979
Lecturer in Botany, University of West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica

1975-1976
Research Assistant, University of Leeds, Department of Plant Sciences.

Management Experience

I have managed:

  1. Statutory Body (PCB) in Belize
  2. A section of Ministry of Agriculture, Belize
  3. Department of NRI (civil service and university modes)
  4. Health and safety programmes at NRI

Research Interests

  1. Biosecurity law and regulation
  2. Legislation and regulation of agriculture and environment in developing countries
  3. Agricultural trade law
  4. Risk assessment and precautionary principle, especially in relation to phytosanitary affairs and pesticides

Professional & Academic Associations

  1. Statute Law Society (2005)
  2. Socio-Legal Studies Association (2002)
  3. The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple (2001)
  4. Fellow of Higher Education Academy (2001)
  5. International Law Association (2000)
  6. Tropical Agriculture Association (1986)
  7. British Society for Plant Pathology (1983) - Editorial Board

Selected Consultancy Work since 1997

LEGISLATIVE REVIEW AND DRAFTING, SPS MATTERS

September - October 2009 Lawyer reviewing regulatory and legal framework for banana industry in Capacity Needs Assessment for European Banana Support Programme (Framework Contract)
January 2007 - May 2008 Legal Expert in EuropeAid project on Approximation of EU and RF legislative and methodological basis in Sanitary and Phytosanitary area, Russian Federation.
February 2008 Legal consultant to Rwanda Horticultural Export Standard Initiative, drafting new Plant Health Law and new Agrochemicals Control Law (Michigan State University/WTO STDF); training NPPO
December 2007 Leader of a legal team deployed on an SVG Agricultural Diversification Project to review and make recommendations on agricultural legislation in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
September 2006 - March 2007 SPS/legal specialist in project commissioned by DEFRA/DFID 'Investigating the possibility of designing a sustainable development test to outline the effects of the European Unions Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) based import requirements on developing countries'.
January - June 2006 Legal/SPS specialist, Tanzania, project to establish of an Institutional and Legal Framework on Hygiene and Safety of Agricultural and Natural Resource Products.
June - July 2005 (Japanese International Cooperation Agency)
June - October 2005		 Legal/regulatory consultant, Ethiopia, project to formulate quality control and certification system for horticultural exports.
March 2005 - January 2006 Legal Expert to advise Government of FYR of Macedonia on approximation of its pesticide laws to EC Directive 91/414/EEC. European Commission/European Agency for Reconstruction.
February 2004 - January 2005 Legal Adviser, Programme Regional de Protection des Vegetaux (harmonisation of phytosanitary legislation in Indian Ocean). European Commission/Indian Ocean Commission
July 2003 Review and draft amendment of Plant Protection Act and relevant delegated legislation, Seychelles. Sponsored by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
March - August 2003 Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA). Review of all legislation on animal and plant health and food safety; amendment of existing legislation and drafting of new regulations. Funded by Inter-American Development Bank.
September - December 2002 International Bamboo and Rattan Centre (INBAR). Review of regulations of member countries relevant to international trade in bamboo and rattan materials.
February 2001 - December 2003 Harmonisation of African Phytosanitary Legislation (HAPL)
Project leader of initiative to harmonise African plant protection and quarantine laws in compliance with world trade law (SPS and TRIPS Agreements of World Trade Organisation).
March 1999 Legislative Consultant to the Pesticides Control Board to strengthen and extend the legislative framework of pesticide regulation (amendments to existing statute and new regulations (DFID).

PLANT QUARANTINE, PLANT PATHOLOGY, IPM

May 2009 Ongoing advice on pest risk analysis for multinational company trading plant commodities
February - April 2009 Phytosanitary Expert in missions to write TOR for phytosanitary component of new IPA 2009 project in Bosnia Herzegovina.
June 2008 - July 2009 Phytosanitary Expert in EU Framework Contract Project 'Support to improving quality of the food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary system in Georgia'
December 2006 - present Senior Editor, New Disease Reports for British Society of Plant Pathology (Plant Pathology family of journals)
June 2004 - May 2006 Member of Panel on Plant Health, Plant Protection Products and their Residues (PPR), European Food Safety Authority (EFA). Brussels and Parma, Italy.
October - November 2000 Technical Reviewer of African Fruit Fly Initiative (AFFI) managed by International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kenya, on behalf of International Fund for Agricultural Development
October 1999 Member of Expert Evaluation Panel for DGXII-INCODEV proposals under Framework 5, European Commission.
November - December 1998 Plant Protection Specialist in Integrated Support for Private Agriculture Phase II project (DFID Know How Fund for Republic of Georgia) developing a project proposal to strengthen regulatory activities of Plant Protection and Quarantine Service.
August - September 1998 Consultant on plant quarantine for Indian Ocean Commission Regional Fruit Fly Programme (European Commission). Over two weeks provided training on plant quarantine in Mauritius and Runion and advised Government of Mauritius on strengthening plant quarantine services. Investigated and reported on outbreak of oriental fruit fly in Mauritius.
Island of St Helena (South Atlantic Ocean). Manager of NRIs contract in three-year Link Programme to supply advice and support to DFID-funded IPM project; providing advice on plant quarantine, pesticides supply, etc.
June 1998 As Plant Quarantine Consultant visited the island to review phytosanitary procedures and to provide liaison with other specialists in Link, including proposed eradication of Mediterranean fruit fly. Also visited South Africa to discuss export certification of the islands fruits and vegetables with Department for Plant and Quality Control.
February - March 1997 Plant Pathologist and Pesticide Management Specialist, West Bengal for ODA CPP-funded project identification mission to determine the potential for an IPM project in vegetables in the saline zones. As part of a team of British and Indian pest management specialists and socio-economists helped design a survey/questionnaire and assisted in bulk of interviews of farmers (over 100) with local colleagues. Analysed pesticide use data and contributed to final report.

TEACHING AND TRAINING

University and FE college teaching in agricultural science, pest management/IPM/plant pathology and law/regulatory affairs up to and including Masters level (MSc/MA/LLM)

  • University of Leeds
  • University of West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
  • Chiangmai University, Thailand
  • Belize College of Agriculture
  • Wye College, University of London
  • University of Greenwich

PhD supervision in plant pathology, plant quarantine, socio-legal research
Farmer training in IPM and pesticide use
Continuing professional development in most of these areas through short-course provision and on-job training.