. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/EEC/21
5 December 2002
(02-6515)
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: 003222995725,
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, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Metalaxyl (pesticide
active substance)
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Commission
Decision Concerning the Non-Inclusion of metalaxyl as Active Substance in Annex I to
Directive 91/414/EEC and the Withdrawal of Authorisations for Plant Protection Products
Containing this Active Substance.
6. Description of content:   Provides that metalaxyl is not included in the positive Community
list and the Member States have to withdraw authorisations for plant protection products
containing metalaxyl.
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 a programme to be carried out over a period of
12 years for the gradual examination of the active substances contained in the pesticides,
which are on the market for the inclusion in Annex I of the Directive.
Metalaxyl is one of the 90 active substances covered by the first stage of this work
programme. The main notifier for this active substance informed the Commission and the
rapporteur Member State that they no longer wished to participate in the programme of
work for this active substance, and therefore it is not possible to include this active
substance in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EECG/TBT/N/EEC/21
Page 2
Any period of grace for disposal, storage, placing on the market and use of existing stocks of
plant protection products containing metalaxyl 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/1928/2002 rev 5
9. Proposed date of adoption: 1st February 2003
Proposed date of entry into force: Member States have to withdraw all existing
authorisations for plant protection products
containing metalaxyl 6 months after date ofadoption. Any period of grace for existing stocks
should be limited to a period no longer than
12 months, i.e. 18 months from the date of adoption.
10. Final date for comments:   60 days from date of notification
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [     ] 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