./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/EEC/41
12 November 2003
(03-6057)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   European Commission
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:
European Commission,
EC-TBT Enquiry Point,
Fax: 003222998043,
e-mail: ec-tbt@cec.eu.int
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwis e national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Atrazine
(pesticide active substance)
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Commission
Decision Concerning the Non-Inclusion of at razine as Active Substance in Annex I to
Directive 91/414/EEC (Active substances authorized for  incorporation in plant protection
products) and the Withdrawal of Authorisations for Plant Protection Products Containing
this Active Substance
6. Description of content:   Provides that atrazine is not included in the positive Community
list (Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC) and the Member States have to withdrawauthorisations for plant protection products containing atrazine
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
Directive 91/414/EEC concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market
sets up a harmonised framework for the authorisation and placing on the market of plant
protection products in order to protect human health and the environment.
Article 8(2) of this Directive provides for a programme to be carried out over a period of
12 years for the gradual examination of the active substances contained in the pesticideswhich are on the market, for inclusion in or exclusion from Annex I of the Directive.
Atrazine is one of the 90 active substances covered by the first stage of this work
programme. Assessments made on the basis of the information submitted have not
demonstrated that it may be expected that, under the proposed conditions of use, plantG/TBT/N/EEC/41
Page 2
protection products containing atrazine satisfy in general the requirements laid down in
Article 5(1)(a) and (b) of Directive 91/414/EEC , in particular concerning the contamination
of groundwater.
Member States have to withdraw all existing authorizations for plant protection products
containing atrazine 6 months after date of adoption. Any period of grace for disposal, storage,placing on the market and use of existing stocks of plant protection products containing
atrazine allowed by Member State, in accordance with the provisions of Article 4(6) of
Directive 91/414/EEC should be limited to a period no longer than 12 months, i.e. 18 months
from the date of adoption.
8. Relevant documents:   Doc. SANCO/10324/2003 rev 3
9. Proposed date of adoption:  1 February 2004
Proposed date of entry into force: Authorisations for plant protection products
containing atrazine will be withdrawn at the latest
six months after the date of adoption of thisDecision with a period of grace for existing stocks
of 12 additional months.
10. Final date for comments:   60 days from date of notification
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:           
European Commission,
EC-TBT Enquiry Point,
Fax: 0032 2 299 80 43,
E-mail: ec-tbt@cec.eu.int