Commission Directive 2008/125/EC of 19 December 2008 amending Council Directive 91/414/EEC to include aluminium phosphide, calcium phosphide, magnesium phosphide, cymoxanil, dodemorph, 2,5-dichlorobenzoic acid methylester, metamitron, sulcotrione, tebuconazole and triadimenol as active substances (Text with EEA relevance)

20.12.2008 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 344/78
COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2008/125/EC
of 19 December 2008
amending Council Directive 91/414/EEC to include aluminium phosphide, calcium phosphide, magnesium phosphide, cymoxanil, dodemorph, 2,5-dichlorobenzoic acid methylester, metamitron, sulcotrione, tebuconazole and triadimenol as active substances
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 91/414/EEC of 15 July 1991 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market (1), and in particular Article 6(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Commission Regulations (EC) No 451/2000 (2) and (EC) No 1490/2002 (3) lay down the detailed rules for the implementation of the third stage of the programme of work referred to in Article 8(2) of Directive 91/414/EEC and establish a list of active substances to be assessed, with a view to their possible inclusion in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC. That list includes aluminium phosphide, calcium phosphide, magnesium phosphide, cymoxanil, dodemorph, 2,5-dichlorobenzoic acid methylester, metamitron, sulcotrione, tebuconazole and triadimenol.
(2) For those active substances the effects on human health and the environment have been assessed in accordance with the provisions laid down in Regulations (EC) No 451/2000 and (EC) No 1490/2002 for a range of uses proposed by the notifiers. Moreover, those Regulations designate the rapporteur Member States which have to submit the relevant assessment reports and recommendations to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in accordance with Article 10(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1490/2002. For aluminium phosphide, calcium phosphide, magnesium phosphide, 2,5-dichlorobenzoic acid methylester and sulcotrione the rapporteur Member State was Germany and all relevant information was submitted on 19 June 2007 for aluminium phosphide, calcium phosphide, magnesium phosphide and 2,5-dichlorobenzoic acid methylester and on 9 August 2006 for sulcotrione. For metamitron, and triadimenol the rapporteur Member State was the United Kingdom and all relevant information was submitted on 22 August 2007 and 29 May 2006 respectively. For cymoxanil, the rapporteur Member State was Austria and all relevant information was submitted on 15 June 2007. For dodemorph, the rapporteur Member State was the Netherlands and all relevant information was submitted on 9 February 2007. For tebuconazole the rapporteur Member State was Denmark and all relevant information was submitted on 5 March 2007.
(3) The assessment reports have been peer reviewed by the Member States and the EFSA and presented to the Commission on 29 September 2008 for aluminium phosphide, calcium phosphide and metamitron, on 30 September 2008 for magnesium phosphide, on 17 September 2008 for cymoxanil and dodemorph, on 26 September 2008 for 2,5-dichlorobenzoic acid methylester, on 31 July 2008 for sulcotrione and on 25 September 2008 for tebuconazole and triadimenol in the format of the EFSA Scientific Reports (4). These reports have been reviewed by the Member States and the Commission within the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health and finalised on 28 October 2008 in the format of the Commission review reports for aluminium phosphide, calcium phosphide, magnesium phosphide, cymoxanil, dodemorph, 2,5-dichlorobenzoic acid methylester, metamitron, sulcotrione, tebuconazole and triadimenol.
(4) It has appeared from the various examinations made that plant protection products containing aluminium phosphide, calcium phosphide, magnesium phosphide, cymoxanil, dodemorph, 2,5-dichlorobenzoic acid methylester, metamitron, sulcotrione, tebuconazole or triadimenol may be expected to satisfy, in general, the requirements laid down in Article 5(1)(a) and (b) of Directive 91/414/EEC, in particular with regard to the uses which were examined and detailed in the Commission review reports. It is therefore appropriate to include these active substances in Annex I, in order to ensure that in all Member States the authorisations of plant protection products containing these active substances can be granted in accordance with the provisions of that Directive.
(5) Without prejudice to that conclusion, it is appropriate to obtain further information on certain specific points. Article 6(1) of Directive 91/414/EEC provides that inclusion of a substance in Annex I may be subject to conditions. Therefore, it is appropriate for metamitron to require the notifier to submit further information as regards the impact of soil metabolite M3 on groundwater, on residues in rotational crops, on the long term risk to insectivorous birds and on the specific risk to birds and mammals that may be contaminated by the intake of water in field. Furthermore, for sulcotrione it is appropriate to require the notifier to submit further information as regards the degradation in soil and water of the cyclohexadione moiety and the long term risk to insectivorous birds. In addition, it is appropriate to require that tebuconazole should be subjected to further testing for the confirmation of the risk assessment for birds and mammals and such information should be presented by the notifier. Moreover, it is appropriate to require that tebuconazole and triadimenol be subjected to further testing of their potential endocrine disrupting properties, as soon as OECD test guidelines on endocrine disruption, or, alternatively, Community agreed test guidelines exist. Finally, it is appropriate to require that triadimenol should be subjected to further testing for confirmation of the chemical specification and the long risk to birds and mammals and that such information should be presented by the notifier.
(6) A reasonable period should be allowed to elapse before an active substance is included in Annex I in order to permit Member States and the interested parties to prepare themselves to meet the new requirements which will result from the inclusion.
(7) Without prejudice to the obligations defined by Directive 91/414/EEC as a consequence of including an active substance in Annex I, Member States should be allowed a period of six months after inclusion to review existing authorisations of plant protection products containing aluminium phosphide, calcium phosphide, magnesium phosphide, cymoxanil, dodemorph, 2,5-dichlorobenzoic acid methylester, metamitron, sulcotrione, tebuconazole and triadimenol to ensure that the requirements laid down by Directive 91/414/EEC, in particular in its Article 13 and the relevant conditions set out in Annex I, are satisfied. Member States should vary, replace or withdraw, as appropriate, existing authorisations, in accordance with the provisions of Directive 91/414/EEC. By way of derogation from the above deadline, a longer period should be provided for the submission and assessment of the complete Annex III dossier of each plant protection product for each intended use in accordance with the uniform principles laid down in Directive 91/414/EEC.
(8) The experience gained from previous inclusions in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC of active substances assessed in the framework of Regulation (EEC) No 3600/92 has shown that difficulties can arise in interpreting the duties of holders of existing authorisations in relation to access to data. In order to avoid further difficulties it therefore appears necessary to clarify the duties of the Member States, especially the duty to verify that the holder of an authorisation demonstrates access to a dossier satisfying the requirements of Annex II to that Directive. However, this clarification does not impose any new obligations on Member States or holders of authorisations compared to the directives which have been adopted until now amending Annex I.
(9) It is therefore appropriate to amend Directive 91/414/EEC accordingly.
(10) The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,