Commission Directive 2002/18/EC of 22 February 2002 amending Annex I to Council Directive 91/414/EEC concerning the placing of plant-protection products on the market to include isoproturon as an active substance

Commission Directive 2002/18/EC
of 22 February 2002
amending Annex I to Council Directive 91/414/EEC concerning the placing of plant-protection products on the market to include isoproturon as an active substance
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), as last amended by Commission Directive 2001/103/EC(2), and in particular Article 6(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) 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(3), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2266/2000(4), provides for the adoption of a list of active substances of plant-protection products to be assessed, with a view to their possible inclusion in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC. That list is contained in Commission Regulation (EC) No 933/94 of 27 April 1994 laying down the active substances of plant-protection products and designating the rapporteur Member State for the implementation of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3600/92(5), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2230/95(6), and includes isoproturon.
(2) For isoproturon the effects on human health and the environment have been assessed in accordance with the provisions laid down in Regulation (EEC) No 3600/92 for a range of uses proposed by the notifiers. Under Regulation (EC) No 933/94, Germany was designated as rapporteur Member State. The rapporteur Member State submitted the relevant assessment reports and recommendations to the Commission on 30 July 1999 in accordance with Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EEC) No 3600/92.
(3) This assessment report has been reviewed by the Member States and the Commission within the Standing Committee on Plant Health. The review was finalised on 7 December 2001 in the format of the Commission review report for isoproturon.
(4) The review did not reveal any open questions or concerns, which would have required a consultation of the Scientific Committee on Plants.
(5) It has appeared from the various examinations made that plant-protection products containing the active substance concerned 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 report. It is therefore appropriate to include the active substance concerned in Annex I to that Directive, in order to ensure that in all Member States the authorisations of plant-protection products containing the active substances concerned can be granted in accordance with the provisions of Directive 91/414/EEC.
(6) A period should be specified following the inclusion of isoproturon in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC, during which Member States must grant, vary or withdraw, as appropriate, the authorisations of the plant-protection products containing this active substance. In particular, plant-protection products should not be authorised unless account is taken of the conditions associated with the inclusion of the active substance in Annex I and the uniform principles laid down in the Directive on the basis of a dossier satisfying the prescribed data requirements.
(7) The Commission review report is required for the proper implementation by the Member States, of several sections of the uniform principles laid down in Directive 91/414/EEC. It is, therefore, appropriate to provide that the finalised review report, except for confidential information, is kept available or made available by the Member States for consultation by any interested parties. If the review report has to be updated to take account of technical and scientific developments, the conditions for the inclusion of the substance concerned in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC should also be amended in accordance with that Directive.
(8) A reasonable period must be provided for 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. Moreover, after inclusion, a reasonable period is necessary to permit Member States to implement the provisions of Directive 91/414/EEC on plant-protection products containing isoproturon. In particular, Member States must, within that period, review existing authorisations and, where appropriate, grant new authorisations in accordance with the provisions of Directive 91/414/EEC. A longer period should be provided for the submission and assessment of the complete dossier of each plant-protection product in accordance with the uniform principles laid down in Directive 91/414/EEC. For plant-protection products containing several active substances, the complete evaluation on the basis of the uniform principles can only be carried out when all the active substances concerned have been included in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC.
(9) The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plant Health,