(1)

Article 8(2) of Directive 91/414/EEC provides that a Member State may, during a period of 12 years following the notification of that Directive, authorise the placing on the market of plant protection products containing active substances not listed in Annex I of that Directive that are already on the market two years after the date of notification, while those substances are gradually being examined within the framework of a programme of work.

(2)

Commission Regulations (EC) No 451/2000 (2) and (EC) No 1490/2002 (3) lay down the detailed rules for the implementation of the second and third stages of the programme of work referred to in Article 8(2) of Directive 91/414/EEC. For active substances for which a notifier fails to fulfil its obligations under these Regulations no completeness check or evaluation of the dossier shall be performed. For ammonium sulphamate, hexaconazole, sodium tetrathiocarbonate and 8-hydroxyquinoline no complete dossier has been submitted within the prescribed time limit. Therefore it has not been demonstrated that, under the proposed conditions of use, plant protection products containing these active substances satisfy in general the requirements laid down in Article 5(1)(a) and (b) of Directive 91/414/EEC. As a consequence, these active substances should not be included in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC and Member States should withdraw all authorisations for plant protection products containing these substances.

(3)

For the active substances for which there is only a short period of advance notice for the withdrawal of plant protection products containing such substances, it is reasonable to provide for a period of grace for disposal, storage, placing on the market and use of existing stocks for a period no longer than 12 months to allow existing stocks to be used in no more than one further growing. In cases where a longer advance notice period is provided, such period can be shortened to expire at the end of the growing season.

(4)

For sodium tetrathiocarbonate and 8-hydroxyquinoline information has been presented and evaluated by the Commission together with Member States experts which has shown a need for further use of the substances concerned. It is therefore justified in the present circumstances to prescribe under strict conditions aimed at minimising risk a longer period for the withdrawal of existing authorisations for the limited uses considered as essential for which no efficient alternatives appear currently to be available.

(5)

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

(a)

Authorisations for plant protection products containing ammonium sulphamate, hexaconazole, sodium tetrathiocarbonate and 8-hydroxyquinoline are withdrawn by 22 May 2007;

(b)

From 23 November 2006 no authorisations for plant protection products containing ammonium sulphamate, hexaconazole, sodium tetrathiocarbonate and 8-hydroxyquinoline are granted or renewed under the derogation provided for in Article 8(2) of Directive 91/414/EEC.