ROBERT BLACK

Consultant in Biosecurity Law and Regulation [Updated August 2021]

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

Availability: Retired from University of Greenwich August 2021. Continuing availabilty as independent consultant (continuing assignment with Asian Development)

Work experience in or for the following countries: Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia Herzegovina, Botswana, Burkina Faso, PR China, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Republic of Georgia, Ghana, Italy, Honduras, India, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia, FYR Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Poland, Reunion, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, St Helena, St Vincent and Grenadines, South Africa, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan, United Kingdom, Zambia, Zimbabwe

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

·       Full CV

Employment History

August 2018 - August 2021 (retired)
Associate Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Regulation, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich at Medway, UK

September 2006 - present
Part-time Lecturer and Consultant in Biosecurity Law & Risk Assessment, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich at Medway, UK

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. Commonwealth Association of Legislative Counsel (2015)
  3. Fellow of Higher Education Academy (2001)
  4. International Law Association (2000)
  5. Tropical Agriculture Association (1986)
  6. British Society for Plant Pathology (1983) - Ex officio Board member as Senior Editor of journal 'New Disease Reports' 2007-2016). Now Bacteriology Editor.

Selected Consultancy Work since 1997

LEGISLATIVE REVIEW AND DRAFTING, SPS MATTERS (SELECTED)

August 2017 - Present

Various assignments on Modernizing Sanitary & Phytosanitary Measures for Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC), Asian Development Bank. Currently Trade Facilitation and SPS Team Leader (ADB Consultant)

April - September 2018

Support for Uzbekistan State Inspectorate for Plant Quarantine
International Phytosanitary Expert for USAID-Competitiveness Trade and Jobs Programme

June - December 2015

Developing import health standards for meat, fish, dairy, produce and livestock feeds for importation into island of Saint Helena
Team leader and risk analysis coordinator for Government of Saint Helena

February 2014 - March 2015

Promoting Regional Cooperation in Sanitary & Phytosanitary Measures for Central Asia Regional Economic Copperation
Phytosanitary specialist for ADB

August 2013 - May 2014

Research on SPS and Trade Facilitation in Africa.
International Consultant for WTO/STDF

November 2012 - August 2013

Developing regulatory framework for biopesticides in harmonised registration guidelines for Africa.
Legal/regulatory expert for AATF

August - November 2012

Developing and delivery food safety training packages.
Preparing Technical Handbook on "Specific import requirements for food of plant origin imported into EU"
EU expert for EDES/COLEACP

November 2011 - December 2012

SPS Expert Preparing SPS Plan for countries in CAREC for Asian Development Bank

June 2011

Turkey: EU Expert in Taiex Regional Training Programme, Turkey, "Registration & Approval of Establishments".
Trainer on fertiliser legislation, "Strengthening The Quality Infrastructure in Turkey Project"

December 2010 - January 2011

Legal adviser drafting Orders and Regulations to implement Law on Protection of Plant Health in Rwanda and Law on Agrochemicals

September - December 2010

Legal Expert, WTO-SPS Accession Project, Seychelles. EU-ACP MTS Ptogramme)

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

Legal/regulatory consultant, Ethiopia, project to formulate quality control and certification system for horticultural exports. (Japanese International Cooperation Agency)

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

January 2011

Advising Mauritius Sugar Industries Research Institute on quarantine facility for sugarcane

June 2010

Providing expert training in pest risk analysis and support for operation of plant clinics - support for the Institute of Phytopathology of Georgia (UK Global Partnership Programme)

December 2009

One-week training course on pest risk analysis for Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture (TAIEX)

May 2009 - March 2010

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.