WRITTEN QUESTION E-2836/00 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Renewed authorisation for harmful plant protection products.
Date: 2000-09-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Netherlands, environmental protection, marketing standard, pharmaceutical product, plant health product, testing, toxic substance

18.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/189

Commission Regulation (EC) No 451/2000 covers those active substances not included in Annex I to
4.
Directive 91/414/EEC and which were not covered by Regulation (EEC) No 3600/92. Strict time-limits are
laid down for the notification of such active substances by industry. Results are expected to be available by
the end of December 2000, and should be included in the Commission(cid:146)s progress report.

(2001/C 113 E/200)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2836/00

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(8 September 2000)

Subject: Renewed authorisation for harmful plant protection products

1.
There is a discussion under way in the Netherlands on renewed authorisation for the use of
environmentally harmful plant protection products. Existing legislation in this area is being scaled back
on the grounds that if certain crops are to continue to be grown in the Netherlands, (cid:145)essential(cid:146) products
need to be retained until the year 2002, with the option of an extension beyond that date. By contrast, the
environmental movement says that sound alternatives to many of these poisons are available and that only
a small rearguard of farmers still use the poisons classified as harmful. Is the Commission aware of this
discussion which resulted, on 22 August 2000, in a debate in the standing committee on agriculture of the
Lower House of the Dutch parliament?

2.
The list of (cid:145)essential(cid:146) products consists of carbaryl, chlorpyriphos, fenbutatin oxide, penconazole,
pirimiphos-methyl, simazine, carbofuran, chloridazon, dichlorvos, parathion-ethyl and propachlor. These
are substances suspected of being carcinogenic, harmful to heritable genetic material or of being a serious
health risk in some other way. Have these substances or products already been tested under the European
programme of work and, if so, with what conclusions?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(13 October 2000)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to the answer given by the Commission to written
question P-2829/00 by Mrs Corbey (1).

In addition the Commission can confirm that all the active substances mentioned by the Honourable
Member are included in the review programme of existing active substances. The detailed evaluation of
chlorpyrifos, simazin and parathion-ethyl continues in the framework of Commission Regulation (EEC)
No 3600/92 of 11 December 1992 laying down the detailed rules for the implementation of the first stage
of the programme of work referred to in Article 8(2) of Council Directive 91/414/EEC concerning the
placing of plant protection products on the market (2). No final conclusions have been taken yet. The other
active substances mentioned are subject to Commission Regulation (EC) No 451/2000 (3) of 28 February
2000 laying down the detailed rules for the implementation of the second and third stages of the work
programme referred to in Article 8(2) of Council Directive 91/414/EEC.

The Commission will inform by July 2001 the Parliament and Council, as provided in Council Directive
91/414/EEC of 15 July 1991 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market (4), on the
progress with the re-evaluation programme.

(1) OJ C 103 E, 3.4.2001, p. 226.
(2) OJ L 366, 15.12.1992.
(3) OJ L 55, 29.2.2000.
(4) OJ L 230, 19.8.1991.