1979L0117—EN—01.01.1995—013.001—1
This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents
►B COUNCILDIRECTIVE
of21December 1978
prohibiting the placing on the market and use of plant protection products containing certain
activesubstances
(79/117/EEC)
(OJL33,8.2.1979,p.36)
Amendedby:
OfficialJournal
No page date
►M1CommissionDirective83/131/EECof14March1983 L91 35 9.4.1983
►M2CommissionDirective85/298/EECof22May1985 L154 48 13.6.1985
►M3CouncilRegulation(EEC)No3768/85of20December1985 L362 8 31.12.1985
►M4CouncilDirective86/214/EECof26May1986 L152 45 6.6.1986
►M5CouncilDirective86/355/EECof21July1986 L212 33 2.8.1986
►M6CouncilDirective87/181/EECof9March1987 L71 33 14.3.1987
►M7CommissionDirective87/477/EECof9September1987 L273 40 26.9.1987
►M8CouncilDirective89/365/EECof30May1989 L159 58 10.6.1989
►M9CommissionDirective90/335/EECof7June1990 L162 37 28.6.1990
►M10CouncilDirective90/533/EECof15October1990 L296 63 27.10.1990
►M11CommissionDirective91/188/EECof19March1991 L92 42 13.4.1991
Amendedby:
►A1ActofAccessionofGreece L291 17 19.11.1979
►A2ActofAccessionofAustria,SwedenandFinland C241 21 29.8.1994
(adaptedbyCouncilDecision95/1/EC,Euratom,ECSC) L1 1 1.1.1995
▼B
COUNCILDIRECTIVE
of21December 1978
prohibiting the placing on the market and use of plant protection
productscontainingcertain activesubstances
(79/117/EEC)
THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic
Community,andinparticularArticle100thereof,
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission(1),
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEuropeanParliament(2),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social
Committee(3),
Whereas plant production has a very important place in the European
EconomicCommunity;
Whereastheyieldfromthatproductioniscontinuallybeingaffectedby
harmful organisms and weeds; whereas it is absolutely essential to
protectplantsagainsttheseriskstopreventafallinyieldsandthereby
helptoensuretheavailabilityofsupplies;
Whereas one of the most important methods of protecting plants and
plant products and of increasing the productivity of agriculture is touseplantprotectionproducts;
Whereas the effects of these plant protection products may not be
whollyfavourableforplantproduction;whereastheirusemayinvolverisks for man and the environment since, in the main, they are toxicsubstancesorpreparationshavingdangerouseffects;
Whereas, in the case of certain plant protection products, these risks
are so great that their use can no longer be wholly or partially toler-ated;
Whereas the Member States have therefore not only controlled the
marketing of plant protection products but have also introduced, forcertain plant protection products, restrictions or prohibitions of use
coveringalsotheirmarketing;
Whereas these provisions differ in the various Member States and
result inobstacles to trade whichdirectly affect the establishment and
functioningofthecommonmarket;
Whereas it is therefore desirable to eliminate these obstacles by
aligning the relevant provisions laid down in the Member States by
law,regulationoradministrativeprovision;
Whereas it therefore seems justified, as a basic principle, to introduce
prohibitionsoftheuseofallplantprotectionproductscontainingactivesubstances which, even when properly used for the purpose intended,give rise or are likely to give rise to harmful effects on human oranimalhealthortounreasonableadverseeffectsontheenvironment;
Whereas for some of these plant protection products national deroga-
tions may, however, be permitted to a limited extent for those useswhere, for ecological reasons, a particular need exists and where the
riskislessthaninthecaseoftheirotherpreviouslysanctioneduses;
Whereas even these derogations should be phased out as soon as less
hazardoustreatmentsbecomeavailable;
Whereas, on the other hand, it is necessary to grant Member States a
limited right to suspend temporarily, on their own authority, prohibi-1979L0117—EN—01.01.1995—013.001—2
(1) OJNoC200,26.8.1976,p.10.
(2) OJNoC30,7.2.1977,p.38.
(3) OJNoC114,11.5.1977,p.16.
▼B
tions of use in the event of an unforeseeable danger threatening plant
productionwhichcannotbecontainedbyothermeans;
Whereas the Directive excludes plant protection products intended for
researchandanalyticalpurposes;
Whereas, moreover, it is not appropriate to apply Community provi-
sions to plant protection products intended for export to thirdcountries,sinceingeneralthesecountrieshavetheirownregulations;
Whereastheimplementation ofthisDirectiveandtheadaptationofits
Annextothedevelopmentoftechnicalandscientificknowledgeneces-
sitates a close cooperation between the Commission and Member
States;whereastheprocedure—forthepresent,limitedintime—oftheStandingCommitteeonPlantHealthandinvolvementoftheScien-tificCommitteeforPesticidesoffersasuitablebasisforthis,
HASADOPTEDTHISDIRECTIVE:
Article 1
This Directive concerns prohibition of the placing on the market and
useofplantprotectionproductscontainingcertainactivesubstances.
Article 2
ForthepurposesofthisDirectivethefollowingdefinitionsshallapply:
1.Plantprotection products
Active substances and preparations containing one or more active
substancesintended:
1.1. todestroyorganismsharmfultoplantsorplantproductsorto
protectthemfromsuchorganisms,insofarassuchsubstancesorpreparationsarenotdefinedinthefollowingprovisions;
1.2. to, influence the life processes of plants, other than as a
nutrient;
1.3. to preserve plant products, in so far as such substances or
products are not subject to special Council or Commissionprovisionsonpreservatives;
1.4. todestroyundesiredplants;or
1.5. to destroy parts of plants or to prevent undesired growth of
plants.
2.Substances
Chemicalelementsandtheircompounds,astheyoccurnaturallyor
bymanufacture.
3.Preparations
Mixtures or solutions composed of two or more substances, or of
micro-organismsorvirusesusedasplantprotectionproducts.
4.Activesubstances
Substances, micro-organisms and viruses, having general or
specificaction:
4.1. againstharmfulorganisms;or
4.2. onplants,partsofplantsorplantproducts.
5.Plants
Liveplantsandlivepartsofplants,includingfreshfruitandseed.
6.Plantproducts
Products,intheunprocessedstateorhavingundergoneonlysimple
preparation such as milling, drying or pressing, derived fromplants,butexcludingplantsthemselvesasdefinedinpoint5.1979L0117—EN—01.01.1995—013.001—3
▼B
7.Harmfulorganisms
Pestsofplantsorofplantproducts,whichbelongtotheanimalor
plantkingdoms,orwhichareviruses,mycoplasmasorotherpatho-gens.
8.Animals
Animals belonging to species normally nourished and kept or
consumedbyman.
9.Placingonthemarket
Any transfer of possession, whether in return for payment or free
ofcharge.
10.Environment
The relationship of human beings with water, air, land and all
biologicalforms.
Article 3
Member States shall ensure that plant protection products containing
oneormoreoftheactivesubstanceslistedintheAnnexmaybeneitherplacedonthemarketnorused.
The first paragraph shall not apply to plant protection products which
contain negligible impurities because of the nature of their manufac-
turing process, provided that they have no harmful effects on human
beings,animalsortheenvironment.
Article 4
1. By way of derogation fromArticle 3, Mem ber States shall be
temporarily authorized to permit the placing on the market or the use
within their territory ofplant protection products containing certain of
the active substances listed in the first column of the Annex in thecasessetoutinthesecondcolumn.
2. Member States shall inform the other Member States and the
Commission of any cases in which paragraph 1 is applied and, if the
Commission so requests, shall provide it with details of the extent towhicheachsuchactivesubstanceisused.
Article 5
TheDirectiveshallnotapplytoplantprotectionproductsintendedfor:
(a) purposesofresearchoranalysis;or
(b) exporttothirdcountries.
Article 6
1. After consultation by the Commission of the Scientific
Committee on Pesticides set up under Decision 78/436/EEC(
1) the
following shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure laiddowninArticle8:
(a) anyamendments necessary within groupsA(mercury compounds)
and B (persistent organochlorine compounds) of the substances incolumn1oftheAnnex;
(b) anyamendmentsnecessarytocolumn2oftheAnnex.Ifaderoga-
tion is to be cancelled, prior consultation of the ScientificCommitteeshallnotbenecessary,providedthatallMemberStateshaveinformedtheCommissionthattheydonotintendornolonger
intendtoavailthemselvesofthatderogation.Thisinformationmay
be supplied to the Standing Committee on Plant Health set upunderDecision76/894/EEC(
2).1979L0117—EN—01.01.1995—013.001—4
(1) OJNoL124,12.5.1978,p.16.
(2) OJNoL340,9.12.1976,p.25.
▼M4
3. Any amendments to the Annex which are not provided for in
paragraph 1 shall be adopted by the Council acting on a proposalfromtheCommission.
4. The Commission shall examine at least every twoyears whether
and to what extent the second column of the Annex should beamended.
5. All amendments to the Annex shall be made by reason of the
developmentofscientificandtechnicalknowledge.
6. AnactivesubstanceshallbeincludedintheAnnexif,evenwhen
properlyappliedforthepurposeintended,itsusegivesriseorislikelytogiveriseto:
(a) harmfuleffectsonhumanoranimalhealth;
(b) unreasonableadverseeffectsontheenvironment.
Article 7
1. Ifitappearsnecessary,becauseofanunforeseeabledangerthrea-
tening plant production whichcannot be contained byother means, to
use in a Member State a plant protection product containing one or
more of the active substances listed in the Annex, the Member Stateinquestionmaypermit theplacing onthemarket andtheuseofsuchproductforamaximumperiodof120days.ItshallimmediatelyinformtheotherMemberStatesandtheCommissionofitsaction.
2. Itshallbeestablishedwithoutdelayinaccordancewiththeproce-
dure laid downin Article 8whether and, if so,underwhat conditionstheactiontakenbytheMemberStatepursuanttoparagraph1maybecontinuedorrepeated.
Article 8
1. Where the procedure laid downinthisArticle istobe followed,
matters shall be referred without delay by the chairman, either on hisown initiative or at the request of a Member State, to the StandingCommitteeonPlantHealth,hereinaftercalled‘theCommittee’.
2. The representative of the Commission shall submit to the
Committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The Committee shall
deliveritsopiniononthedraftwithinatimelimitwhichtheChairman
may lay down according to the urgency of the matter. The opinionshall be delivered bythe majority laid down in Article 148 (2) of theTreaty inthecaseofdecisionswhichtheCouncil isrequired toadoptonaproposalfromtheCommission.Thevotesoftherepresentativesof
the Member States within the Committee shall be weighted in the
mannersetoutinthatArticle.TheChairmanshallnotvote.
►
A23.◄The Commission shall adopt the measures and imple-
mentthemforthwithwheretheyareinaccordancewiththeopinionofthe Committee. Where they are notin accordance with the opinion ofthe Committee, or if no opinion is delivered, the Commission shallwithoutdelayproposetotheCouncilthemeasurestobeadopted.The
Councilshalladoptthemeasuresbyaqualifiedmajority.
IftheCouncilhasnotadoptedanymeasureswithinthreemonthsofthe
proposal being submitted to it, the Commission shall adopt theproposedmeasuresandimplementthemforthwith.
Article 9
The Member States shall, not later than 1 January 1981, bring into
force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary tocomply with this Directive. They shall immediately inform theCommissionthereof.1979L0117—EN—01.01.1995—013.001—5
▼B
▼A2
▼B
▼B
Article 10
ThisDirectiveisaddressedtotheMemberStates.1979L0117—EN—01.01.1995—013.001—6
▼B
ANNEX
Namesofactivesubstancesorgroupsofactive
substancesreferredtoinArticle3Casesinwhichplacingonthemarketoruseare
permittedinaccordancewithArticle4
A.Mercury compounds
1. Mercuricoxide ►M11 ◄
2. Mercurouschloride(calomel) ►M11 ◄
►M2 ◄
3. Otherinorganicmercurycompounds4. Alkylmercurycompounds ►
M9 ◄
5. Alkoxyalkylandarylmercurycompounds ►M1 ◄
►M2 ◄
►M2 ◄
►M11 ◄
B.Persistentorgano-chlorinecompounds
1. Aldrin ►M9 ◄
2. Chlordane
3. Dieldrin4. DDT ►
M1 ◄
►M2 ◄
►M1 ◄
5. Endrin ►M9 ◄
►M2 ◄
6. HCH containing less than 99·0 % of the
gammaisomer
7. Heptachlor ►M1 ◄
8. Hexachlorobenzene1979L0117—EN—01.01.1995—013.001—7
▼B
Namesofactivesubstancesorgroupsofactive
substancesreferredtoinArticle3Casesinwhichplacingonthemarketoruseare
permittedinaccordancewithArticle4
9. Camphechlor
►M6C.Othercompounds
1. Ethyleneoxide ◄
►M62. Nitrofen
3. 1,2-Dibromoethane4. 1,2-Dichloroethane ◄
►
M105. Dinoseb,itsacetateandsalts
6. Binapacryl
7. Captafol8. Dicofol containing less than 78 % of
p.p.
1-dicofol or more than 1 g/kg DDT
andDDTrelatedcompounds
9. (a) Maleic hydrazide and its salts, other
than its choline, potassiumand
sodiumsalts;
(b) Choline, potassiumand sodiumsalts
of maleic hydrazide containing more
than 1 mg/kg of free hydrazine
expressed on the basis of the acid
equivalent
10. Quintozene containing more than 1 g/kg
of HCB or more than 10 g/kg
pentachlorobenzene ◄(a) pathogen reduction of the following dried
vegetables, intended for incorporation in
food preparations which do not undergo full
cookingtreatmentpriortoconsumption
— asparagus
— onions— leeks— mushrooms
(b) pathogen reduction of dried herbs and
spices(
1)
(c) pathogen reduction of dried herbs intended
exclusively for marketing without further
processingasmedicinalproducts
(d) pathogen reduction of cocoa powder and
cake
(e) fumigationoftobaccoleaf►
M8Derogations (a), (d), and (e) shall expire
on 31 December 1989 at the latest and deroga-
tions (b) and (c) on 31 December 1990 at the
latest◄
(1) Plants and plant products rich in essential oils and aromatic principles mainly used as condiments because of
theircharacteristictaste1979L0117—EN—01.01.1995—013.001—8
▼M1
▼M5