Commission Directive 2008/66/EC of 30 June 2008 amending Council Directive 91/414/EEC to include bifenox, diflufenican, fenoxaprop-P, fenpropidin and quinoclamine as active substances (Text with EEA relevance)
Commission Directive 2008/66/ECof 30 June 2008amending Council Directive 91/414/EEC to include bifenox, diflufenican, fenoxaprop-P, fenpropidin and quinoclamine as active substances(Text with EEA relevance)THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,Having regard to Council Directive 91/414/EEC of 15 July 1991 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the marketOJ L 230, 19.8.1991, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Commission Directive 2008/45/EC (OJ L 94, 5.4.2008, p. 21)., and in particular Article 6(1) thereof,Whereas:(1)Commission Regulations (EC) No 451/2000OJ L 55, 29.2.2000, p. 25. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1044/2003 (OJ L 151, 19.6.2003, p. 32). and (EC) No 1490/2002OJ L 224, 21.8.2002, p. 23. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1095/2007 (OJ L 246, 21.9.2007, p. 19). lay down the detailed rules for the implementation of the third 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 bifenox, diflufenican, fenoxaprop-P, fenpropidin and quinoclamine.(2)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 451/2000 and (EC) No 1490/2002 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 10(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1490/2002. For bifenox the rapporteur Member State was Belgium and all relevant information was submitted on 4 July 2005. For diflufenican the rapporteur Member State was the United Kingdom and all relevant information was submitted on 1 August 2005. For fenoxaprop-P the rapporteur Member State was Austria and all relevant information was submitted on 2 May 2005. For fenpropidin and quinoclamine the rapporteur Member State was Sweden and all relevant information was submitted on 24 June 2005 and 15 June 2005 respectively.(3)The assessment reports have been peer reviewed by the Member States and the EFSA and presented to the Commission on 14 November 2007 for quinoclamine, on 29 November 2007 for bifenox and fenoxaprop-P and on 17 December 2007 for diflufenican and fenpropidin in the format of the EFSA Scientific ReportsEFSA Scientific Report (2007) 119, 1-84, Conclusion regarding the peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance bifenox (finalised 29 November 2007).EFSA Scientific Report (2007) 122, 1-84, Conclusion regarding the peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance diflufenican (finalised 17 December 2007).EFSA Scientific Report (2007) 121, 1-76, Conclusion regarding the peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance fenoxaprop-P (finalised 29 November 2007).EFSA Scientific Report (2007) 124, 1-84, Conclusion regarding the peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance fenpropidin (finalised 17 December, revision of 29 January 2008 with corrections of miscalculations in the aquatic risk assessment).EFSA Scientific Report (2007) 117, 1-70, Conclusion regarding the peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance quinoclamine (finalised on 14 November 2007).. 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 14 March 2008 in the format of the Commission review reports for bifenox, diflufenican, fenoxaprop-P, fenpropidin and quinoclamine.(4)It has appeared from the various examinations made that plant protection products containing bifenox, diflufenican, fenoxaprop-P, fenpropidin and quinoclamine 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.(5)Without prejudice to that conclusion, it is appropriate to obtain further information on certain specific points. Article 6(1) of Directive 91/414/EC provides that inclusion of a substance in Annex I may be subject to conditions. Therefore it is appropriate to require that bifenox should be subjected to further testing for confirmation of the risk assessment for consumers and the long-term risk to herbivorous mammals and that fenpropidin should be subjected to further testing for confirmation of the risk assessment for the long-term risk to herbivorous and insectivorous birds and such studies should be presented by the notifiers.(6)A reasonable period should be allowed to elapse before an active substance is included in Annex I in order to permit Member States and the interested parties to prepare themselves to meet the new requirements which will result from the inclusion.(7)Without prejudice to the obligations defined by Directive 91/414/EEC as a consequence of including an active substance in Annex I, Member States should be allowed a period of six months after inclusion to review existing authorisations of plant protection products containing bifenox, diflufenican, fenoxaprop-P, fenpropidin and quinoclamine to ensure that the requirements laid down by Directive 91/414/EEC, in particular in its Article 13 and the relevant conditions set out in Annex I, are satisfied. Member States should vary, replace or withdraw, as appropriate, existing authorisations, in accordance with the provisions of Directive 91/414/EEC. By way of derogation from the above deadline, a longer period should be provided for the submission and assessment of the complete Annex III dossier of each plant protection product for each intended use in accordance with the uniform principles laid down in Directive 91/414/EEC.(8)The experience gained from previous inclusions in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC of active substances assessed in the framework of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3600/92OJ L 366, 15.12.1992, p. 10. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 416/2008 (OJ L 125, 9.5.2008, p. 25). has shown that difficulties can arise in interpreting the duties of holders of existing authorisations in relation to access to data. In order to avoid further difficulties it therefore appears necessary to clarify the duties of the Member States, especially the duty to verify that the holder of an authorisation demonstrates access to a dossier satisfying the requirements of Annex II to that Directive. However, this clarification does not impose any new obligations on Member States or holders of authorisations compared to the directives which have been adopted until now amending Annex I.(9)It is therefore appropriate to amend Directive 91/414/EEC accordingly.(10)The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: