(1)

Regulation (EU) No 649/2012 implements the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade (‘the Rotterdam Convention’) signed on 11 September 1998 and approved, on behalf of the Union, by Council Decision 2003/106/EC (2).

(2)

The Commission has adopted Implementing Regulations under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) to not approve, or to not renew the approval of, the substances amitrole, beta-cypermethrin, DPX KE 459 (flupyrsulfuron-methyl), iprodione, linuron, orthosulfamuron, picoxystrobin and triasulfuron. In consequence, those substances are banned within the Union in the use category ‘pesticides’ and should therefore be added to the lists of chemicals in Parts 1 and 2 of Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 649/2012.

(3)

The Commission has adopted an Implementing Regulation under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 to not renew the approval of the active substance isoproturon. In consequence, even though isoproturon has been identified and notified for evaluation under Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) for product-types 7 and 10 and may therefore continue to be authorised by Member States until a decision is taken under that Regulation, the fact remains that virtually all use of it as a pesticide is prohibited. As a result, it is severely restricted within the Union in the use category ‘pesticides’ and should therefore be added to the lists of chemicals in Parts 1 and 2 of Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 649/2012.

(4)

The active substance maneb was previously approved under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009. An application was then submitted to renew that approval, but the supplementary dossier in support of renewal was not submitted. Consequently, the approval expired. As a result, maneb is banned within the Union in the use category ‘pesticides’ and should therefore be added to the lists of chemicals in Parts 1 and 2 of Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 649/2012.

(5)

The active substance fipronil was previously approved under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009. An application was then submitted to renew that approval, but the supplementary dossier in support of renewal was not submitted. Consequently, the approval expired. As a result, even though fipronil is approved under Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 for product-type 18, the fact remains that virtually all use of it as a pesticide is prohibited. Therefore, fipronil is severely restricted within the Union in the use category ‘pesticides’ and should be added to the lists of chemicals in Parts 1 and 2 of Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 649/2012.

(6)

At its eighth meeting held from 24 April to 5 May 2017, the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention decided to include carbofuran, trichlorfon and short-chain chlorinated paraffins in Annex III to the Convention, with the effect that those chemicals became subject to the prior informed consent procedure under that Convention. Those changes should therefore be reflected in the lists of chemicals in Parts 1, 2 and 3 of Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 649/2012 by adding carbofuran, trichlorfon and short-chain chlorinated paraffins to the list in Part 3 and removing carbofuran and trichlorfon from the list in Part 2 and by making consequential changes to Part 1.

(7)

Tributyltin compounds were included in Annex III to the Rotterdam Convention in the use category ‘pesticide’ following a decision taken at the fourth Conference of the Parties in 2008. At its eighth meeting held from 24 April to 5 May 2017, the Conference of the Parties decided to include tributyltin compounds in Annex III in the use category ‘industrial’, with the effect that tributyltin compounds became subject to the prior informed consent procedure under that Convention in the use category ‘industrial’ too. That change, together with changes to the regulatory status of tributyltin compounds under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5) that were made after tributyltin compounds were listed in Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 649/2012, should be reflected in the lists of chemicals in Parts 1 and 3 of Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 649/2012.

(8)

At its eighth meeting held from 24 April to 5 May 2017, the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (‘the Stockholm Convention’), which was approved by Council Decision 2006/507/EC (6), decided to include short-chain chlorinated paraffins in Annex A to the Stockholm Convention. In order to implement the Stockholm Convention and considering that those substances are already listed in Part B of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (7), they should be added to Part 1 of Annex V to Regulation (EU) No 649/2012.

(9)

Regulation (EU) 2017/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8) modifies the rules on the export of mixtures of metallic mercury with other substances with a mercury concentration of less than 95 %, and of certain mercury compounds. Those changes should be reflected in the existing entries in Part 2 of Annex V to Regulation (EU) No 649/2012 for mercury compounds and mixtures of metallic mercury with other substances with a mercury concentration of less than 95 %.

(10)

Regulation (EU) No 649/2012 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(11)

It is appropriate to provide a reasonable period of time for interested parties to take the measures necessary to comply with this Regulation and for Member States to take the measures necessary to implement it,

(a)

Annex I is amended in accordance with Annex I to this Regulation;

(b)

Annex V is amended in accordance with Annex II to this Regulation.