Products to be withdrawn from the market containing bifenthrin
Regulatory Update: 25/2009
Issued: 11 August 2009
Background
Council Directive 91/414/EEC establishes a framework for the authorisation of plant protection products in the EC. A key element of this is the review of all existing active substances (defined as those on the market in 1993).
In March 2009, the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health voted on the European Commission’s proposal for the non-inclusion of bifenthrin in Annex I of Directive 91/414/EEC. The Commission proposal for bifenthrin did not achieve a Qualified Majority agreement. Under Directive 91/414/EEC a “non-opinion” in Standing Committee means the dossier is referred to the Council, which then has three months to act. If a decision is not taken within three months, the Commission will adopt its original proposal by default.
The Agriculture and Fisheries Council voted on bifenthrin on 13 July and did not come to an agreement. Therefore the Commission will adopt its original non-inclusion proposal by default.
The EC Decision will be published 3 to 6 months after the vote at Council (October 2009 to January 2010).
The UK has 3 professional products and 18 amateur products containing bifenthrin that will need to be withdrawn from the market to comply with the EC Decision. A further Update will be published providing expiry dates once the EC Decision has been published.
Withdrawal of Products
Approval for advertisement, sale and supply by any person will be revoked / withdrawn 6 months after publication of the Decision (about April 2010 or later depending on the date of publication of the EC Decision).
Approval will be given for a further 12 months for storage and use (until about April 2011 or later depending on the date of publication of the EC Decision).
Keeping up-to-date
You can keep up-to-date with EC issues, including the result of voting at the EC Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health by checking the EC news page of the European section of our website.
EFSA - panel on plant protection products and their residues.
European Commission - plant protection - evaluation and authorisation.