. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/EEC/51 
21 January 2004  
 
(04-0195) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English 
   
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated 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):   Mefluidide (pesticide 
active substance) 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document:   Commission Decision 
concerning the non-inclusion of mefluidide as Active Substance in Annex I to Council Directive 91/414/EEC and the withdrawal  of authorisations for plant protection 
products containing mefluidide.  (3 pages, available in French, English and Spanish.) 
6. Description of content:   The draft Decision provides that mefluidide is not included in the 
positive Community list laid down in Annex I to Council Decision 91/414/EEC and the 
Member States have to withdraw authorisati ons for plant protection products containing 
mefluidide. 
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 harmonized 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 inclus ion in Annex I of the Directive. 
The current proposed Decision provides that mefluidide is not included in the positive 
Community list and the Member States have to withdraw authorisations for plant protection 
products containing these active substances beca use industry did not provide the necessary 
data. G/TBT/N/EEC/51 
Page 2  
 
Any period of grace for disposal, storage, placi ng on the market and use of existing stocks 
of plant protection products containing me fluidide 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 18 months from the date of adoption. 
8. Relevant documents:   Draft Commission Decision (EC) N°…. concerning the 
non-inclusion of mefluidide in Annex 1 to Council Directive 91/414/EEC and the 
withdrawal of authorisations for plant protection products containing this substance 
9. Proposed date of adoption:  1 April 2004 
Proposed date of entry into force:  MS have to withdraw all existing authorisations for 
plant protection products containing mefluidide  6 months after date of adoption.  Any 
period of grace for existing stocks should be limited to 18 months after 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 57 25,  e-mail:  ec-tbt@cec.eu.int