. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/EEC/35
1 October 2003
(03-5167)
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, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Plant protection products
containing fenthion (an active substance in pesticides)
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Commission
Decision concerning the non-inclusion of fenthion in Annex I to Council Directive
91/414/EEC and the withdrawal of authorisa tions for plant protection products containing
this active substance
6. Description of content:   The proposal provides for the withdrawal of the authorisations for
plant protection products containing fenthion.
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 plantprotection 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 active substances contained in pesticides.
Fenthion 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, plantprotection products containing fenthion satisfy in general the requirements laid down in
Article 5(1)(a) and (b) of Directive 91/414/EEC, in particular with regard to its possible
impact on birds. Therefore it is not possible to include this active substance in Annex I to
Directive 91/414/EEC.G/TBT/N/EEC/35
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Any period of grace for the disposal, storage, placing on the market and use of existing stocks
of plant protection products containing fenthion allowed by Member States, 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/10077/2003 rev 5
9. Proposed date of adoption:  1 December 2003
Proposed date of entry into force:  Member States have to withdraw all existing
authorizations for plant protection products containing fenthion 6 months after the date of
adoption. Any period of grace for existing stocks should be limited to a period no longer than12 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