26.11.2008   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 316/4

(1)

Commission Regulations (EC) No 451/2000 (2) and (EC) No 1490/2002 (3) lay down the detailed rules for the implementation of the third stage of the programme of work referred to in Article 8(2) of Directive 91/414/EEC and establish a list of active substances to be assessed, with a view to their possible inclusion in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC. That list includes abamectin, epoxiconazole, fenpropimorph, fenpyroximate and tralkoxydim.

(2)

For those active substances the effects on human health and the environment have been assessed in accordance with the provisions laid down in Regulations (EC) No 451/2000 and (EC) No 1490/2002 for a range of uses proposed by the notifiers. Moreover, those Regulations designate the rapporteur Member States which have to submit the relevant assessment reports and recommendations to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in accordance with Article 10(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1490/2002. For abamectin the rapporteur Member State was the Netherlands and all relevant information was submitted on 27 October 2005. For epoxiconazole, fenpropimorph and fenpyroximate the rapporteur Member State was Germany and all relevant information was submitted on 28 April 2005, 17 March 2005 and 25 October 2005 respectively. For tralkoxydim the rapporteur Member State was the United Kingdom and all relevant information was submitted on 6 September 2005.

(3)

The assessment reports have been peer reviewed by the Member States and the EFSA and presented to the Commission on 29 May 2008 for abamectin, on 26 March 2008 for epoxiconazole and tralkoxydim, on 14 April 2008 for fenpropimorph, on 5 May 2008 for fenpyroximate in the format of the EFSA Scientific Reports (4). These reports have been reviewed by the Member States and the Commission within the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health and finalised on 11 July 2008 in the format of the Commission review reports for abamectin, epoxiconazole, fenpropimorph, fenpyroximate and tralkoxydim.

(4)

It has appeared from the various examinations made that plant protection products containing abamectin, epoxiconazole, fenpropimorph, fenpyroximate and tralkoxydim may be expected to satisfy, in general, the requirements laid down in Article 5(1)(a) and (b) of Directive 91/414/EEC, in particular with regard to the uses which were examined and detailed in the Commission review reports. It is therefore appropriate to include these active substances in Annex I, in order to ensure that in all Member States the authorisations of plant protection products containing these active substances can be granted in accordance with the provisions of that Directive.

(5)

Without prejudice to that conclusion, it is appropriate to obtain further information on certain specific points. Article 6(1) of Directive 91/414/EEC provides that inclusion of a substance in Annex I may be subject to conditions. Therefore, it is appropriate to require that abamectin should be subjected to further studies on the specification and further information is required to confirm the risk to birds and mammals, to aquatic organisms, and to groundwater with respect to the metabolite U8. Epoxiconazole should be subjected to further testing of its potential endocrine disrupting properties and to a monitoring programme to assess the long-range atmospheric transport and related environmental risks; further information is required as regards the residues of its metabolites in primary crops, rotational crops and products of animal origin as well as information to address the long-term risk to herbivorous birds and mammals. Fenpropimorph should be subjected to further testing to confirm the mobility in soil of metabolite BF-421-7. Fenpyroximate should be subjected to further testing for confirmation of the risk to aquatic organisms from metabolites containing the benzyl moiety and the risk of biomagnification in aquatic food chains. Tralkoxydim should be subjected to further testing for confirmation of the long-term risk to herbivorous mammals. All the above mentioned studies and information should be presented by the notifiers within the deadlines set in Annex I of this Directive.

(6)

A reasonable period should be allowed to elapse before an active substance is included in Annex I in order to permit Member States and the interested parties to prepare themselves to meet the new requirements which will result from the inclusion.

(7)

Without prejudice to the obligations defined by Directive 91/414/EEC as a consequence of including an active substance in Annex I, Member States should be allowed a period of six months after inclusion to review existing authorisations of plant protection products containing abamectin, epoxiconazole, fenpropimorph, fenpyroximate and tralkoxydim to ensure that the requirements laid down by Directive 91/414/EEC, in particular in its Article 13 and the relevant conditions set out in Annex I, are satisfied. Member States should vary, replace or withdraw, as appropriate, existing authorisations, in accordance with the provisions of Directive 91/414/EEC. By way of derogation from the above deadline, a longer period should be provided for the submission and assessment of the complete Annex III dossier of each plant protection product for each intended use in accordance with the uniform principles laid down in Directive 91/414/EEC.

(8)

The experience gained from previous inclusions in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC of active substances assessed in the framework of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3600/92 (5) has shown that difficulties can arise in interpreting the duties of holders of existing authorisations in relation to access to data. In order to avoid further difficulties it therefore appears necessary to clarify the duties of the Member States, especially the duty to verify that the holder of an authorisation demonstrates access to a dossier satisfying the requirements of Annex II to that Directive. However, this clarification does not impose any new obligations on Member States or holders of authorisations compared to the directives which have been adopted until now amending Annex I.

(9)

It is therefore appropriate to amend Directive 91/414/EEC accordingly.

(10)

The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

(a)

in the case of a product containing abamectin, epoxiconazole, fenpropimorph, fenpyroximate and tralkoxydim as the only active substance, where necessary, amend or withdraw the authorisation by 30 April 2013 at the latest; or

(b)

in the case of a product containing abamectin, epoxiconazole, fenpropimorph, fenpyroximate and tralkoxydim as one of several active substances, where necessary, amend or withdraw the authorisation by 30 April 2013 or by the date fixed for such an amendment or withdrawal in the respective Directive or Directives which added the relevant substance or substances to Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC, whichever is the latest.