1979L0117—EN—01.01.1981—001.001—1
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►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
►A1ActofAccessionofGreece L291 17 19.11.1979
▼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—01.01.1981—001.001—2
(1) OJNoC200,26.8.1976,p.10.
(2) OJNoC30,7.2.1977,p.38.
(3) OJNoC114,11.5.1977,p.16.
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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 third
countries,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,insofarassuchsubstances
orpreparationsarenotdefinedinthefollowingprovisions;
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;or1.5. 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 from
plants,butexcludingplantsthemselvesasdefinedinpoint5.
7.Harmfulorganisms1979L0117—EN—01.01.1981—001.001—3
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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 humanbeings,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 theCommission 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).
2. Paragraph 1 shall apply for a period of five years as from1
January1981.1979L0117—EN—01.01.1981—001.001—4
(1) OJNoL124,12.5.1978,p.16.
(2) OJNoL340,9.12.1976,p.25.
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TheCouncil,actingunanimouslyonaproposalfromtheCommission,
may decide to extend the, period of validity of paragraph 1 or toremoveanylimitonitsapplication.
3. Any amendments to the Annex which are not provided for in
paragraph 1 shall be adopted by the Council acting on a proposal
fromtheCommission.
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,itsusegivesriseorislikely
togiveriseto:
(a) harmfuleffectsonhumanoranimalhealth;
(b) unreasonableadverseeffectsontheenvironment.
Article 7
1. Ifitappearsnecessary,becauseofanunforeseeabledangerthrea-
tening plant production whichcannot be contained byother means, touse in a Member State a plant protection product containing one ormore of the active substances listed in the Annex, the Member State
inquestionmaypermit theplacing onthemarket andtheuseofsuch
productforamaximumperiodof120days.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 his
own initiative or at the request of a Member State, to the Standing
CommitteeonPlantHealth,hereinaftercalled‘theCommittee’.
2. Within the Committee the votes of the Member States shall be
weightedasprovidedforinArticle148(2)oftheTreaty.Thechairmanshallnotvote.
3. The Commission representative shall submit a draft of the
measures to be adopted. The Committee shall deliver its opinion on
such measures within a time limit set by the chairman having regard
to the urgency ofthe matter. Opinionsshall be adopted bya majorityof►
A1forty-five ◄votes.
4. The Commission shall adopt the measures and implement them
forthwith where they are in accordance with the opinion of theCommittee. Where they are notin accordance with the opinion of theCommittee,orifnoopinionisdelivered,theCommissionshallwithout
delayproposetotheCouncilthemeasurestobeadopted.TheCouncil
shalladoptthemeasuresbyaqualifiedmajority.
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—01.01.1981—001.001—5
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Article 10
ThisDirectiveisaddressedtotheMemberStates.1979L0117—EN—01.01.1981—001.001—6
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ANNEX
Namesofactivesubstancesorgroupsofactive
substancesreferredtoinArticle3Casesinwhichplacingonthemarketoruseare
permittedinaccordancewithArticle4
A.Mercury compounds
1. Mercuricoxide Asa paint to treat Nectria galligena (canker) on
pomaceous fruit trees after harvesting and until
budding
2. Mercurouschloride(calomel) (a) AgainstPlasmodiophoraonBrassicae
(b) Treatment of onion seeds and plants against
Sclerotium
(c) Treatment of ornamental turf and turf for
sports grounds against Sclerotinia and
Fusarium
3. Otherinorganicmercurycompounds4. Alkylmercurycompounds (a) Dippingofflowerbulbsandseedpotatoes
(b) Treatment of basic and prebasic cereal seed,
exceptmaize,andsugarbeetseed
5. Alkoxyalkylandarylmercurycompounds (a) AsapainttotreatNectriagalligena(canker)
onpomaceousfruittreesafterharvestingand
untilbudding
(b) In autumn to prevent Nectria galligena
(canker) in Bramley apple trees if necessary
in Northern Ireland, after an exceptionally
humidsummer
(c) Dippingofflowerbulbsandseedpotatoes(d) Seedtreatmentofcereals,beet,flaxandrape
B.Persistentorgano-chlorinecompounds
1. Aldrin (a) Soil treatment against Otiorrhynchus in
nurseries, strawberry beds before planting
out,bedsofornamentalsandvineyards
(b) Treatment of potatoes grown in former
pastureland against Agriotes in Ireland and
theUnitedKingdom
(c) Treatment of narcissi which have to remain
two or three years in the ground against
Merodon equestris, Eumerus strigatus and
Eumerustuberculatus
2. Chlordane3. Dieldrin4. DDT (a) As a dip against Hylobius in conifer seed-
lings
(b) Treatment of individual trees against Scoly-
tidaetocombatCeratocystisulmi
(c) Treatment of sugar beet, potatoes and orna-
mentalturforturfforsportsgroundsagainst
Melolontha, Amphimallon, Phyllopertha,
CetoniaandSerica
(d) Treatment of sugar beet, potatoes, strawber-
ries, carrots and ornamentals against Agrotis
andEuxoa
(e) TreatmentofcerealsagainstTipula
5. Endrin (a) As an acaricide on cyclamen and on straw-
berrypropagatingmaterial
(b) Treatment against Arvicola terrestris L. in
orchardswithoutsubcultivation
6. HCH containing less than 99·0 % of the
gammaisomer1979L0117—EN—01.01.1981—001.001—7
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Namesofactivesubstancesorgroupsofactive
substancesreferredtoinArticle3Casesinwhichplacingonthemarketoruseare
permittedinaccordancewithArticle4
7. Heptachlor Treatmentat their preparation stage of beet seed
againstAtomaria linearis, Agriotesspec.,Myria-
podaandCollembola
8. Hexachlorobenzene1979L0117—EN—01.01.1981—001.001—8