. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/EEC/167 
15 November 2007 
 (07-4970) 
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:  (+32) 2299 8043 Email:  ec-tbt@ec.europa.eu Website: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/ 
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):   Rotenone, extract from 
equisetum and chinin-hydrochlorid 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Commission 
Decision concerning the non-inclusion of rotenone, extract from equisetum and chinin-
hydrochlorid in Annex I to Council Directive 91/414/EEC and the withdrawal of 
authorisations for plant protection products  containing these substances (7 pages in 
English). 
6. Description of content:   Provides that the abovementioned active substances are not 
included in the positive Community list and that Member States have to withdraw 
authorisations for plant protection products containing these substances. This decision only 
concerns the placing on the market of these substances and does not affect the Community 
or national Maximum 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 active substances contained in the 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/167 
Page 2  
 
  Rotenone, extract of equisetum and chinin-hydr ochlorid were all included in the fourth 
stage of this work programme, according to the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 
2229/2004.  Before that the evaluation of the submitted dossiers would be finalised, all notifiers 
withdrew their participation in the programme of work.   
A period of grace for disposal, storage, placing on the market and use of existing stocks of 
plant protection products containing such substanc es should be allowed by Member State, in 
accordance with the provisions of  Article 4(6) of Directive 91/ 414/EEC. Such period is limited 
to a period not longer than 12 months, i.e. 18 mo nths from the date of adoption of this decision. 
However, in some Member States such as tho se where the use of rotenone was authorised 
for specific plant protection techniques related to organic farming and where no alternatives 
were available, a longer phasing out peri od has been set for some essential uses. 
8. Relevant documents:   Doc. SANCO/2060/2007 rev. 2 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    January 2008 
MS have to withdraw all existing 
authorizations for plant protection products containing those active substances 6 months after date of adoption. With exception of essential uses authorisations (deadline for 
withdrawal is 30 April 2011). 
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: + (32) 2299 8043 Email:  ec-tbt@ec.europa.eu 
The text is available on the EC-TBT Webs ite: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/