. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/EEC/139 
10 January 2007 
 (07-0129) 
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) 2 299 80 43 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):   Carbofuran  (pesticide 
active substances) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Commission 
Decision Concerning the Non-Inclusion of carbofuran in Annex I to Council Directive 91/414/EEC and the Withdrawal of Authorisati ons for Plant Protection Products Containing 
that Substance (6 pages, in English). 
6. Description of content:   Provides that carbofuran is not included in the positive 
Community list and that Member States have to  withdraw authorisations for plant protection 
products containing this substance.  This deci sion only concerns the placing on the market 
of this substance and does not affect the Co mmunity or national Maximum Residue Levels 
(MRLs) for residues of the concerned pesticides. 
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 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. 
Carbofuran is a substance covered by the second stage of this work programme. G/TBT/N/EEC/139 
Page 2  
 
  During the evaluation of this active substance, a number of concerns have been identified. The 
risk assessment for ground water contamination could not be conclude d, in particular 
because the data supplied by the notifier within  the legal deadlines did not provide sufficient 
information about a number of metabolites which have a hazardous profile.  Also the consumer risk assessment, which raised a con cern about the acute exposure of vulnerable 
groups of consumers, in particular children, could not be finalised due to the lack of 
information as regards certain relevant residu es.  Furthermore, the data supplied by the 
notifier within the legal deadlines was insuffi cient to allow the EFSA to assess the 
ecotoxicological effects of the active substance.  As a result, concerns remain as regards the risk assessment for birds and mammals, aquatic organisms, bees, non target arthropods, 
earthworms, and soil non-target organisms.  Consequently, it was not possible to conclude on 
the basis of the information available that car bofuran met the criteria for inclusion in Annex 
I to 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 carbofuran  allowed by a Member State, 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:   Doc. SANCO/03441/2006 rev 1 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    March 2007 
MS have to withdraw all existing 
authorisations for plant protection products containing carbofuran 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:  +(32) 2 299 57 25,   
Email: ec-tbt@ec.europa.eu