(1)

In accordance with Article 23(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, the Commission received on 29 September 2014 an application from the Institut Technique de l'Agriculture Biologique (ITAB) for the approval of diammonium phosphate as a basic substance. That application was 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 6 October 2015 (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 11 December 2015 and finalised them for the meeting of that Committee on 8 March 2016.

(3)

Diammonium phosphate is authorised to be used in oenology by Commission Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 (4).

(4)

The documentation provided by the applicant shows that diammonium phosphate is not predominantly used for plant protection purposes but nevertheless is useful in plant protection in a product consisting of the substance and water.

(5)

It has appeared from the examinations made that diammonium phosphate 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 diammonium phosphate as a basic substance.

(6)

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.

(7)

In accordance with Article 13(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 (5) should be amended accordingly.

(8)

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

(1)

Part A of the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 (2) sets out the active substances deemed to have been approved under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009.

(2)

The approval periods of the active substances bentazone, cyhalofop butyl, diquat, famoxadone, flumioxazine, DPX KE 459 (flupyrsulfuron-methyl), metalaxyl-M, picolinafen, prosulfuron, pymetrozine, thiabendazole and thifensulfuron-methyl were extended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1885 (3). The approval of those substances will expire on 30 June 2016. Applications for the renewal of the inclusion of those substances in Annex I to Council Directive 91/414/EEC (4) were submitted in accordance with Article 4 of Commission Regulation (EU) No 1141/2010 (5).

(3)

Due to the fact that the assessment of the substances has been delayed for reasons beyond the control of the applicants, the approvals of those active substances are likely to expire before a decision has been taken on their renewal. It is therefore necessary to extend their approval periods.

(4)

In view of the aim of the first paragraph of Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, as regards cases where the Commission will adopt a Regulation providing that the approval of an active substance referred to in the Annex to this Regulation is not renewed because the approval criteria are not satisfied, the Commission will set the expiry date at the same date as before this Regulation or at the date of the entry into force of the Regulation providing that the approval of the active substance is not renewed, whichever date is later. As regards cases where the Commission will adopt a Regulation providing for the renewal of an active substance referred to in the Annex to this Regulation, the Commission will endeavour to set, as appropriate under the circumstances, the earliest possible application date.

(5)

Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(6)

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

(1)

Implementing Regulation (EU) No 543/2011 lays down, pursuant to the outcome of the Uruguay Round multilateral trade negotiations, the criteria whereby the Commission fixes the standard values for imports from third countries, in respect of the products and periods stipulated in Annex XVI, Part A thereto.

(2)

The standard import value is calculated each working day, in accordance with Article 136(1) of Implementing Regulation (EU) No 543/2011, taking into account variable daily data. Therefore this Regulation should enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union,

(1)

The Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Turkey on readmission of persons residing without authorisation (‘the Agreement’) was concluded by Council Decision 2014/252/EU (1) and entered into force on 1 October 2014. According to Article 24(3) of the Agreement, the provisions of Articles 4 and 6 of the Agreement relating to the readmission of third-country nationals and stateless persons are to apply from 1 October 2017.

(2)

The Union and Turkey expressed their political agreement at the summit held on 29 November 2015, that the Agreement be fully applicable from 1 June 2016.

(3)

Article 19(1)(b) of the Agreement envisages that the Joint Readmission Committee decide on implementing arrangements necessary for the uniform application of the Agreement. It would therefore be appropriate to establish by a Decision of the Joint Readmission Committee the necessary implementing arrangements in order to advance the applicability of the obligations under Articles 4 and 6 of the Agreement from 1 June 2016.

(4)

The United Kingdom is bound by the Agreement and is therefore taking part in the adoption of this Decision.

(5)

Ireland is not bound by the Agreement nor subject to its application and is therefore not taking part in the adoption of this Decision.

(6)

Denmark is not bound by the Agreement nor subject to its application and is therefore not taking part in the adoption of this Decision.

(7)

Considering the above, it is necessary to establish the position to be taken on behalf of the Union within the Joint Readmission Committee on a decision of the Joint Readmission Committee on implementing arrangements for the application of Articles 4 and 6 of the Agreement from 1 June 2016,

(1)

On 26 January 2015, 5 February 2015 and 23 June 2015, the Council adopted Decisions (EU) 2015/116 (1), (EU) 2015/190 (2) and (EU) 2015/994 (3) appointing the members and alternate members of the Committee of the Regions for the period from 26 January 2015 to 25 January 2020.

(2)

A member's seat on the Committee of the Regions has become vacant following the end of the term of office of Mr Thomas KASTRUP-LARSEN,

—

Mr Erik NIELSEN, Mayor of Rødovre Municipality.

(1)

On 26 January 2015, 5 February 2015 and 23 June 2015, the Council adopted Decisions (EU) 2015/116 (1), (EU) 2015/190 (2) and (EU) 2015/994 (3) appointing the members and alternate members of the Committee of the Regions for the period from 26 January 2015 to 25 January 2020.

(2)

Five members' seats on the Committee of the Regions have become vacant following the end of the terms of office of Ms Claudette BRUNET-LECHENAULT, Mr Jean-Louis DESTANS, Mr Pierre HUGON, Ms Anne-Marie KEISER and Mr Pierre MAILLE.

(3)

Three alternate members' seats on the Committee of the Regions have become vacant following the end of the terms of office of Mr Pierre BERTRAND, Ms Mireille LACOMBE and Mr Jean-Louis TOURENNE.

(4)

An alternate member's seat has become vacant following the appointment of Mr André VIOLA as a member of the Committee of the Regions,

(a)

as members:

(b)

as alternate members:

(1)

On 26 January 2015, 5 February 2015 and 23 June 2015, the Council adopted Decisions (EU) 2015/116 (1), (EU) 2015/190 (2) and (EU) 2015/994 (3) appointing the members and alternate members of the Committee of the Regions for the period from 26 January 2015 to 25 January 2020.

(2)

Six members' seats on the Committee of the Regions have become vacant following the end of the terms of office of Mr Claude GEWERC, Ms Annabelle JAEGER, Mr Charles MARZIANI, Mr Pierrick MASSIOT, Mr René SOUCHON and Mr Bernard SOULAGE.

(3)

Three members' seats on the Committee of the Regions have become vacant following the end of the mandates on the basis of which Mr François DECOSTER (Conseiller régional du Nord-Pas-de-Calais), Mr Pascal MANGIN (Conseiller régional d'Alsace) and Mr Stéphan ROSSIGNOL (Conseiller régional du Languedoc-Roussilon) were proposed,

—

Mme Isabelle BOUDINEAU, Vice-présidente du Conseil régional Aquitaine-Poitou-Charente-Limousin,

—

Mme Martine CALDEROLI-LOTZ, Conseillère régionale du Conseil régional Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine,

—

M. Christophe CLERGEAU, Conseiller régional du Conseil régional Pays-de-la-Loire,

—

M. François DECOSTER, Vice-président du Conseil régional Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie (change of mandate),

—

Mme Mélanie FORTIER, Conseillère régionale du Conseil régional Centre-Val-de-Loire,

—

M. Pascal MANGIN, Conseiller régional du Conseil régional Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine (change of mandate),

—

Mme Marie-Antoinette MAUPERTUIS, Conseillère exécutive de la Collectivité territoriale de Corse,

—

M. Stéphan ROSSIGNOL, Conseiller régional du Conseil régional Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées (change of mandate),

—

M. Thierry SOLERE, Conseiller régional du Conseil régional Ile-de-France.