United Kingdom scientific reviews

A Task Group meeting was held in Carshalton, United Kingdom, on 16-18 October 2000, to review a revised draft. Dr T. Damstra, IPCS, was responsible for the preparation of the final document and for its overall scientific content. 

In 1996 the United Kingdom, which was selected to conduct the scientific review of atrazine for the European Union (EU), concluded It is expected that the use of atrazine, consistent with good plant protection practice, will not have any harmful effects on human or animal health or any unacceptable effects on the environment (UK Rapporteur Monograph, 1996). In 2000, the United Kingdom for the European Commission also concluded it is not appropriate to classify atrazine as a carcinogen (UK Rapporteur Monograph, 2000). 

The editors of scientific journals, vehemently expressing their abhorrence of research and publication fraud, established the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in the United Kingdom in 1997. They recommend peer review and require all named authors to sign the letter of submission, coupled with clear declarations from all parties as to conflict of interest. Such procedures would have prevented Pearce s fraud as the paper on the reimplantation of the ectopic fetus had not undergone peer review, and the co-authors were not required to detail their involvement. 

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