12 August 2002
European Commission (EC) Review of Existing Active Substances: Extending Approvals for Supported Active Substances and Essential Uses; and Withdrawing Approvals for Unsupported Active Substances
This letter sets out details of the latest situation with the EC review programme for pesticides covered by Directive 91/414/EEC. Further details of this Directive and its review programme can be found on the PSD web-site.
Background
The Commission has prepared a regulation that provides for:
- the review programme to be extended to 31 December 2005 for those active substances that are being assessed in stages 1 and 2, unless a decision on Annex I inclusion is taken earlier;
- the review to be extended to 31 December 2008 for those substances supported in stages 3 and 4, unless a decision on Annex I inclusion is taken earlier;
- products containing active substances in Annex I of the regulation (those unsupported in stages 2 and 3) to be withdrawn by 25 July 2003, with a use-up period to 31 December 2003;
- essential use authorisations in Annex II of the regulation to continue to 30 June 2007, with a use-up period to 31 December 2007.
Following discussions at the EC Working Group on Pesticides Legislation, this regulation received a favourable opinion at the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health on 28 June 2002. The regulation was published in the Official Journal on the 23 November 2002 (Commission Regulation (EC) No 2076/2002 (pdf, 9 pages).
Extending the Review for Supported Active Substances
Draft Notices extending approvals for products containing active substances still under consideration in the stage 1 of the review programme, and for products containing active substances that are being considered in the further stages of the review, will be sent to approval holders in the next few weeks.
Withdrawing Products Containing Unsupported Active Substances
Details of the active substances in the stages 1-3 of the review programme (pdf, 15 pages) indicating which have been supported/unsupported, together with their United Kingdom (UK) approval status can be found on the PSD web-site.
Fifty of the actives substances unsupported in stages 2 and 3 have (UK) approvals. Fourteen of these 50 substances have been granted essential use derogations (see details below). Notices for products containing active substances that have not been supported in stages 2 and 3 will also be sent out shortly. The notices will allow approval for advertisement, sale, supply, storage and use to continue until 25 July 2003, with a wind-down period for use to the end of December 2003. A further limited period may be allowed for storage needed for disposal purposes only. Specific off-label approvals will be subject to the same revocation periods as those for the approved product.
Disposal of Withdrawn Products
A list of the products to be withdrawn will be placed on the PSD web-site as soon as possible. PSD will be publicising these product details widely.
However, we will also be relying on the crop protection industry to spread the message. All involved in the supply chain must try to prevent unused stocks remaining on farms, holdings and other premises.
Disinfectants
The list referred to above, highlights 17 active substances, including sodium hypochlorite and tar oils. These were not supported in stage 3 of the review, but have now been included in stage 4 to provide the opportunity for their use as plant protection disinfectants to be notified. These active substances have not been included in Annex I of the enclosed regulation as unsupported active substances, as it would have been difficult to withdraw some uses rather than the whole compound. However, it remains the Commission’s policy intention that most plant protection uses of these substances should be withdrawn in 2003. The Commission will review the situation early next year, once it is known whether suitable notifications have been submitted for any of the disinfectant uses.
Essential Uses
Annex II of the enclosed regulation lists the essential use derogations that have been granted for various member states. These uses will be allowed to continue only under the conditions given in Article 2 of the regulation. Full details of the UK essential use crops are available on the PSD Website.
Notices extending relevant approvals for products containing active substances that have been granted essential uses will also be sent to approval holders. Details of these products will be placed on the web-site in due course.
Contact Information
If you have any queries concerning the policy issues addressed in this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me by telephoning 01904 455769, by fax on 01904 455733, by e-mail to debbie.hussey@hse.gsi.gov.uk, or in writing.
If you have any queries regarding the Notices of Approval referred to in this letter, please do not hesitate to contact Rachel Brown by telephoning 01904 455719, by fax on 01904 455722, by e-mail to rachel.brown@hse.gsi.gov.uk or in writing.
