9.7.2015   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 181/75

(1)

In accordance with Article 23(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, the Commission received on 24 April 2013 an application from the Institut Technique de l'Agriculture Biologique (ITAB) for the approval of vinegar as basic substance. On 17 March 2014 an application from the city of Paris (France) was received to extend the intended uses covered by the application for the approval of vinegar as basic substance. Those applications were accompanied by the information required by the second subparagraph of Article 23(3).

(2)

The Commission asked the European Food Safety Authority (hereinafter ‘the Authority’) for scientific assistance. The Authority presented to the Commission a Technical Report on the substance concerned on 12 August 2014 (2). The Commission presented the review report (3) and a draft of this Regulation to the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed on 27 January 2015 and finalised them for the meeting of that Committee of 29 May 2015.

(3)

The documentation provided by the applicant shows that vinegar fulfils the criteria of a foodstuff as defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4). Moreover, it is not predominantly used for plant protection purposes but nevertheless is useful in plant protection in a product consisting of the substance and water. In particular, vinegar should not be confused with acetic acid, an active substance which was included in Annex I to Council Directive 91/414/EEC (5) by Commission Directive 2008/127/EC (6), as clarified in the Commission interpretative communication (7) on the names under which foodstuffs are sold. Consequently, vinegar is to be considered as a basic substance.

(4)

It has appeared from the examinations made that vinegar may be expected to satisfy, in general, the requirements laid down in Article 23 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, in particular with regard to the uses which were examined and detailed in the Commission review report. It is therefore appropriate to approve vinegar as a basic substance.

(5)

In accordance with Article 13(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 in conjunction with Article 6 thereof and in the light of current scientific and technical knowledge, it is, however, necessary to include certain conditions for the approval which are detailed in Annex I to this Regulation.

(6)

In accordance with Article 13(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 (8) should be amended accordingly.

(7)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,