Commission Implementing Decision of 15 May 2014 adopting Union import decisions for certain chemicals pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 649/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council

20.5.2014 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 152/2
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION
of 15 May 2014
adopting Union import decisions for certain chemicals pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 649/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council
(2014/C 152/02)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 649/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 concerning the export and import of hazardous chemicals (1), and in particular the second subparagraph of Article 13(1) thereof,
After consulting the Committee established by Article 133 of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC (2),
Whereas:
(1) In accordance with Regulation (EU) No 649/2012 the Commission is to decide on behalf of the Union whether or not to permit the import into the Union of each chemical subject to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure.
(2) The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have been appointed to provide secretariat services for the operation of the PIC procedure established by the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (hereinafter ‘the Rotterdam Convention’), approved by Council Decision 2006/730/EC (3).
(3) The Commission, acting as common designated authority, is required to forward import decisions on chemicals subject to the PIC procedure to the Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention, on behalf of the Union and its Member States.
(4) The chemical azinphos-methyl has been added to the PIC procedure, as a pesticide, by Decision RC 6/4 of the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention. The Commission has received information thereof from the Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention in the form of a decision guidance document. The placing on the market and use of azinphos-methyl as constituent of mixtures acting as plant protection products is banned by Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4).
(5) The chemical commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether, which includes tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether, has been added to the PIC procedure, as an industrial chemical, by Decision RC 6/5 of the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention. The Commission has received information thereof from the Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention in the form of a decision guidance document. The production, placing on the market and use of tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether are banned, subject to specific exemptions, by Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5).
(6) The chemical commercial octabromodiphenyl ether, which includes hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether, has been added to the PIC procedure, as an industrial chemical, by Decision RC 6/6 of the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention. The Commission has received information thereof from the Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention in the form of a decision guidance document. The production, placing on the market and use of hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether are banned, subject to specific exemptions, by Regulation (EC) No 850/2004.
(7) The chemicals perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, perfluorooctane sulfonates, perfluorooctane sulfonamides and perfluorooctane sulfonyls have been added to the PIC procedure, as industrial chemicals, by Decision RC 6/7 of the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention. The Commission has received information thereof from the Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention in the form of a decision guidance document. The production, placing on the market and use of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, perfluorooctane sulfonates, perfluorooctane sulfonamides and perfluorooctane sulfonyls are banned, subject to a number of specific exemptions, by Regulation (EC) No 850/2004.
(8) A final import decision concerning azinphos-methyl, commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether, commercial octabromodiphenyl ether, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, perfluorooctane sulfonates, perfluorooctane sulfonamides and perfluorooctane sulfonyls should be adopted,