. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/EEC/120 
5 September 2006 
 (06-4227) 
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,  Email: ec-tbt@ec.europa.eu 
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 thiodicarb (pesticide active substances). 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Commission 
Decision concerning the non-Inclusion of thiodicarb in Annex I to Council Directive 91/414/EEC and the withdrawal of authorisati ons for plant protection products containing 
that substance (5 pages, English). 
6. Description of content:   Provides that thiodicarb is not included in the positive Community 
list and that Member States have to withdraw  authorisations for plant protection products 
containing this substance.  This decision only concerns the placing on the market of this substance and does not affect the Commun ity or national Maxi mum Residue Levels 
(MRLs) for residues of the concerned pesticides. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature 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 progr amme to be carried out over a period of 12 
years for the gradual examination of the ac tive substances contained in plant protection 
products on the market.  Substances for which the outcome of the evaluation is favourable 
are then included in Annex I of the Directive.  G/TBT/N/EEC/120 
Page 2  
 
  Thiodicarb  is a substance covered by the second stage of this work programme. 
Assessments made on the basis of the information submitted show a number of concerns:  in 
the case of insecticidal use there was concern over the risk for consumers, as estimated acute exposures to thiodicarb indicated an acute di etary risk for toddlers resulting from the 
consumption of treated table grapes and for a dults resulting from the consumption of wine. 
Furthermore, the risk assessment for use of thiodicarb as a molluscicide has shown 
important data gaps, in  particular as regards the operato r exposure and possible groundwater 
contamination.  
Therefore, it has not been demonstrated that  it may be expected that, under the proposed 
conditions of use, plant protection products containing thiodicarb satisfy in general the 
requirements laid down in Article 5(1 )(a) and (b) of Directive 91/414/EEC.  
A period of grace for disposal, storage, placing on the market and use of existing stocks of 
plant protection products containing thiodicarb al lowed by Member States, in accordance with 
the provisions of Article 4(6) of Directive 91/414 /EEC, is limited to a period not longer than 12 
months, i.e. 18 months from the date of adoption of this decision. 
8. Relevant documents:   Draft Commission Decision concerning the non-Inclusion of 
thiodicarb in Annex I to Council Direc tive 91/414/EEC and the withdrawal of 
authorisations for plant protection products containing that substance 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
 
Proposed date of entry into force:    October 2006 
MS have to withdraw all existing 
authorizations for plant protection products containing thiodicarb 6 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,   
Email: ec-tbt@ec.europa.eu