|
ROBERT BLACK
Consultant in Biosecurity Law and Regulation [Updated August 2021]
Specialising in legal and regulatory frameworks for
health and environmental protection:
- Pesticides control, plant and animal
health/quarantine, food safety
- Risk assessment
methodologies for pests and non-native organisms
- 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
|
|
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:
- Statutory Body (PCB)
in Belize
- A section of Ministry
of Agriculture, Belize
- Department of NRI
(civil service and university modes)
- Health and safety
programmes at NRI
Research Interests
- Biosecurity law and
regulation
- Legislation and
regulation of agriculture and environment in developing countries
- Agricultural trade law
- Risk assessment and
precautionary principle, especially in relation to phytosanitary affairs
and pesticides
Professional & Academic Associations
- Statute Law Society
(2005)
- Commonwealth
Association of Legislative Counsel (2015)
- Fellow of Higher
Education Academy (2001)
- International Law
Association (2000)
- Tropical Agriculture
Association (1986)
- 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.
|
