. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/EEC/109 
19 May 2006 
 (06-2432) 
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 5725 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 Alachlor (pesticide active substance) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Commission 
Decision concerning the non-inclusion of Alachlor in Annex I to Council Directive 
91/414/EEC and the withdrawal of authorisati ons for plant protection products containing 
this active substance (5 pages; in English) 
6. Description of content:   Provides that Alachlor 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 cover the aspects regarding Community or national Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for residues of the concerned pesticide. 
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.   Alachlor is one of the 90 active substances 
covered by the first stage of this work progr amme.  Assessments made on the basis of the G/TBT/N/EEC/109 
Page 2  
 
  information submitted have not demonstrated  that it may be expected that, under the 
proposed conditions of use, plant protection pr oducts containing Alachlor satisfy in general 
the requirements laid down in Article 5(1)(a) a nd (b) of Directive 91/414/EEC, in particular 
due to its environmental fate and behaviour, its toxicological  profile and the exposure to 
operators. 
A period of grace for disposal, storage, placing on the market and use of existing stocks of 
plant protection products containi ng Alachlor allowed by Member State, in accordance with the 
provisions of Article 4(6) of Di rective 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/10092/2005 rev 6 
1 September 2006  9. Proposed date of adoption:   
 
Proposed date of entry into force:    
MS have to withdraw all existing 
authorisations for plant protection products 
containing Alachlor 6 months after the date of adoption 
10. Final date for comments:   90 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 5725 E-mail:  ec-tbt@cec.eu.int