Directive 2009/70 - Amendment of Council Directive 91/414/EEC to include difenacoum, didecyldimethylammonium chloride and sulphur as active substances - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 164/59

Commission Regulations (EC) No 1112/2002 (2) and (EC) No 2229/2004 (3) lay down the detailed rules for the implementation of the fourth 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 difenacoum, didecyldimethylammonium chloride and sulphur.

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 1112/2002 and (EC) No 2229/2004 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 22 of Regulation (EC) No 2229/2004. For difenacoum the rapporteur Member State was Finland and all relevant information was submitted on 16 July 2007. For didecyldimethylammonium chloride the rapporteur Member State was the Netherlands and all relevant information was submitted on 28 November 2007. For sulphur the rapporteur Member State was France and all relevant information was submitted on 18 October 2007.

The assessment reports have been peer reviewed by the Member States and the EFSA and presented to the Commission on 19 December 2008 in the format of the EFSA Scientific Report for difenacoum (4), for didecyldimethylammonium chloride (5) and for sulphur (6). 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 26 February 2009 in the format of the Commission review reports for difenacoum, and on 12 March 2009 for didecyldimethylammonium chloride and sulphur.

It has appeared from the various examinations made that plant protection products containing difenacoum, didecyldimethylammonium chloride and sulphur 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.

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, for difenacoum, it is appropriate to require that the notifier submit further information on methods for the determination of residues in body fluids and on the specification of the active substance as manufactured. Moreover, for didecyldimethylammonium chloride it is appropriate to require that the notifier submit further information on the chemical specification and on the risk assessment for aquatic organisms. Finally, it is appropriate for the sulphur to require that the notifier submit further...