Environment committee  We can't do without either. We need both. As for the immediate future, given the number of files that need to be reviewed by the public entities right now, I think it would probably be appropriate to pick the ones that are absolutely necessary to keep on this long list. That's why I gave some figures on the pesticide situation in other countries and in other parts of the world.

Environment committee  There are French people, but there is also a Canadian who chairs such a committee. I spoke to him two days ago. So these committees can be made up of people from all over. In any case, to ensure their independence, their members are asked to make a declaration of independence from the outset.

Environment committee  Yes. There are many different systems in many countries. I mentioned the Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail in France, which requires independent scientists to conduct assessments. These are either requested by the agency or suggested by its scientists.

Environment committee  Yes. Thank you very much for your question. This involves extremely rigorous work, but it's based first and foremost on independent scientific literature. Unfortunately, that's not the case in Canada. We looked very carefully at the renewal of glyphosate herbicides in 2017, and less than 1% of the independent scientific literature was reviewed.

Environment committee  Thank you for your question, Mr. Kurek. Historically, there has been a separation between the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, which has taken over other aspects. As the science evolves, we now understand that many products that pose very serious health problems and that are pesticides should gradually be considered differently, particularly because of their effects on the environment and biodiversity.

Environment committee  Not only is it important for the act to capture the precautionary principle, but it's also important to undertake a comparative analysis that takes into account a number of other countries. A total of 460 pesticide active ingredients are prohibited in 162 countries, but only 29 of them are prohibited in Canada.

Environment committee  Good afternoon. I want to start by thanking the committee for having me. I appreciate the opportunity to make some brief comments on Bill S‑5. This bill interests me in more ways than one. First and foremost, I am a research professor in overall environmental health, and I work under the “one health” model.

Environment committee  Very good.

Environment committee  The second point has to do with living organisms, referred to as animate products of biotechnology, which departments assess to determine whether they are or could be toxic. Given the pace of change in the agriculture 4.0 world and the proliferation of living novel entities and the risks they pose, it's time to examine these issues at a much broader level.