Date: 2018-02-08Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/185 of 7 February 2018 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 as regards the conditions of approval of the active substance penflufen (Text with EEA relevance. )
Issued by European Commission
· Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety
**Executive Summary:**
This Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/185 amends Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 regarding the conditions of approval for the active substance penflufen. It broadens the permitted uses of penflufen from seed potato tubers to include other seeds or propagating materials, while maintaining certain restrictions. Member States must consider updated review reports and address specific environmental and health concerns. The regulation entered into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Amendment of Penflufen Approval:**
* Removes the restriction limiting penflufen use to seed potato tubers.
* Allows use on other seeds or propagating materials before or during sowing or planting.
* Maintains the restriction of one application every third year on the same field.
* **Uniform Principles and Review Reports:**
* Member States must consider the conclusions of the review report on penflufen finalized on March 15, 2013, and the addendum finalized on December 13, 2017.
* The updated overall assessment by Member States should particularly address:
* Protection of operators.
* Long-term risk to birds.
* Protection of groundwater in vulnerable regions.
* Residues in surface water used for drinking water.
* Conditions of use must include appropriate risk mitigation measures.
* **Confirmatory Information Requirement:**
* The applicant must submit confirmatory information regarding the relevance of the metabolite M01 penflufen3 hydroxybutyl for groundwater if penflufen is classified as a category 2 carcinogen under Regulation EC No 1272/2008.
* This information must be submitted to the Commission, Member States, and the Authority within 6 months of the classification decision notification.
**Impact Analysis**
**European Commission:**
* Impact: Receives confirmatory information from the applicant regarding metabolite M01 if penflufen is classified as a category 2 carcinogen.
* Action Required: Assess the confirmatory information submitted by the applicant.
**Member States:**
* Impact: Must amend national authorisations for products containing penflufen, taking into account the new information. Responsible for considering the conclusions of review reports and addressing environmental and health concerns in their assessment.
* Action Required: Review and, if necessary, update national authorisations for products containing penflufen. Pay particular attention to the protection of operators, the long-term risk to birds, the protection of groundwater, and residues in surface water.
**Applicant (Bayer CropScience AG):**
* Impact: Can now market penflufen for use on a broader range of seeds, but must provide confirmatory information regarding the metabolite M01 if penflufen is classified as a category 2 carcinogen.
* Action Required: Submit confirmatory information regarding metabolite M01 within 6 months of notification if penflufen is classified as a category 2 carcinogen.
**European Food Safety Authority (EFSA):**
* Impact: Receives confirmatory information from the applicant regarding metabolite M01 if penflufen is classified as a category 2 carcinogen.
* Action Required: Assess the confirmatory information submitted by the applicant.
Key Entities Referenced
European Union: A political and economic union of member states located primarily in Europe.
Penflufen: An active substance used in plant protection products, the conditions of approval for which are being amended.
European Parliament: One of the legislative branches of the European Union.
Council of the European Union: A legislative body of the European Union comprising government ministers from each member state.
European Food Safety Authority: An agency of the European Union that provides independent scientific advice and communicates on risks associated with the food chain.
United Kingdom: The designated rapporteur Member State that assessed the new use of the active substance penflufen.
Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009: A regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011: A regulation implementing Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 as regards the list of approved active substances.
8.2.2018 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 34/13
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2018/185
of 7 February 2018
amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 as regards the conditions of approval of the
active substance penflufen
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009
concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market and repealing Council Directives 79/117/EEC and
91/414/EEC (1), and in particular Article 13(2)(c) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1031/2013 (2) approved the active substance penflufen and
included it in Part B of the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 (3). The approval
was restricted to uses to treat seed potato tubers before or during planting limited to one sowing of seeds treated
with penflufen every third year in the same field.
(2) In accordance with Article 7(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, on 13 May 2014 the producer of the active
substance Bayer CropScience AG submitted an application to the designated rapporteur Member State, the United
Kingdom, seeking an amendment to the conditions of approval of penflufen in order to allow its use on other
seeds. Uses on barley and wheat were described in the dossier. In accordance with Article 9(3) of that Regulation,
United Kingdom notified the applicant, the other Member States, the European Food Safety Authority (‘the
Authority’) and the Commission on 16 June 2014 that the application was admissible.
(3) The designated rapporteur Member State assessed the new use of the active substance penflufen in relation to
potential effects on human and animal health and the environment in accordance with the provisions of Article 4
of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, and submitted a draft assessment report to the Commission and to the
Authority on 5 August 2015. In accordance with Article 12(3) of that Regulation additional information was
requested from the applicant. The United Kingdom evaluated the additional information and submitted an
updated draft assessment report to the Commission and to the Authority on 8 July 2016.
(4) On 3 November 2016 the Authority communicated to the Commission its conclusion (4) on whether the new
uses of the active substance penflufen can be expected to meet the approval criteria provided for in Article 4 of
Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009. The Commission presented the draft addendum to the review report for
penflufen and a draft Regulation to the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed on 23 January
2017.
(5) The applicant was invited to submit comments on the addendum to the review report.
(6) It has been established with respect to one or more representative uses of at least one plant protection product
containing the active substance that, when the plant protection product is used to treat seeds or other
propagating materials which are sown or planted, the approval criteria provided for in Article 4 of Regulation
(EC) No 1107/2009 are satisfied. It is therefore appropriate to withdraw the restriction for the use of penflufen
for seed potato tubers only and allow its use also for other seeds or other propagating materials.
(7) In accordance with Article 13(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 in conjunction with Article 6 thereof and in
light of current scientific and technical knowledge, it is necessary and appropriate to amend the conditions of
approval while keeping certain conditions and restrictions and to require the applicant to provide confirmatory
information provided in the first approval.
(1) OJ L 309, 24.11.2009, p. 1.
(2) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1031/2013 of 24 October 2013 approving the active substance penflufen, in
accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the placing of plant
protection products on the market, and amending the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 (OJ L 283,
25.10.2013, p. 17).
(3) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 of 25 May 2011 implementing Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the
European Parliament and of the Council as regards the list of approved active substances (OJ L 153, 11.6.2011, p. 1).
(4) EFSA Journal 2016;14(11):4604. Available online: www.efsa.europa.euL 34/14 EN Official Journal of the European Union 8.2.2018
(8) Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1031/2013 required the applicant to submit confirmatory information
regarding the long-term risk to birds within two years after the entry into force of that Regulation. As the
applicant submitted that data as part of the dossier seeking the amendment of the conditions of approval of the
active substance penflufen the requirement is considered as fulfilled. Member States should take advantage of
these new pieces of information and check the national authorisations for products containing penflufen, where
relevant.
(9) Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1031/2013 also required that information regarding the specification of the
technical material as commercially manufactured to be submitted to the Commission. As that data were evaluated
by the United Kingdom as part of the procedure to amend the conditions of approval of the active substance
penflufen the requirement is considered as fulfilled.
(10) The Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 should therefore be amended accordingly.
(11) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on
Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Amendment to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011
The Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this
Regulation.
Article 2
Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 7 February 2018.
For the Commission
The President
Jean-Claude JUNCKER8.2.2018 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 34/15
ANNEX
The column ‘Specific provisions’ of row 55, penflufen, of Part B of the Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU)
No 540/2011 is replaced by the following:
‘PART A
Only uses to treat seeds or other propagating materials before or during sowing or planting, may be authorised, limited
to one application every third year on the same field.
PART B
For the implementation of the uniform principles as referred to in Article 29(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, the
conclusions of the review report on penflufen, and in particular Appendices I and II thereof, as finalised in the Standing
Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health on 15 March 2013 and of the addendum to the review report on
penflufen, and in particular Appendices I and II thereof, as finalised in the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food
and Feed on 13 December 2017 shall be taken into account.
In this overall assessment Member States shall pay particular attention to:
(a) the protection of operators;
(b) the long-term risk to birds;
(c) the protection of groundwater, when the substance is applied to regions with vulnerable soil and/or climatic
conditions;
(d) to the residues in surface water abducted for drinking water purposes, in or from areas where products containing
penflufen are used.
Conditions of use shall include risk mitigation measures, where appropriate.
The applicant shall submit confirmatory information as regards the relevance of the metabolite M01 (penflufen-3-
hydroxy-butyl) for groundwater if penflufen is classified under Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European
Parliament and of the Council (*) as “carcinogen category 2”. That information shall be submitted to the Commission,
the Member States and the Authority within 6 months from the notification of the classification decision concerning
that substance.
(*) OJ L 353, 31.12.2008, p. 1.’