THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Directive 91/414/EEC of 15 July 1991 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market, and in particular Article 6(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
In accordance with Article 5(5) of Directive 91/414/EEC an inclusion may be reviewed at any time if there are indications that the criteria referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of that Article are no longer satisfied.
(2)
By Commission Directive 2007/52/EC pirimiphos-methyl was included as active substance in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC. The specific provision concerning that substance required the notifier however, to submit further studies confirming the operator exposure assessment.
(3)
On 22 September 2009 the notifier submitted such studies to the United Kingdom, which had been designated rapporteur Member State by Commission Regulation (EC) No 451/2000.
(4)
The United Kingdom evaluated those studies and submitted to the Commission an addendum to the draft assessment report on 25 February 2010, which was circulated for comments to the other Member States, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the notifier. Account being taken of the draft assessment report, that addendum was reviewed by the Member States and the Commission within the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health and finalised on 28 January 2011 in the format of a revision of the Commission review report for pirimiphos-methyl of 16 March 2007.
(5)
The studies included in the review report, as finalised on 28 January 2011, show that the risk to operators is not acceptable when hand-held equipment is used.
(6)
Taking into account the draft assessment report, its addendum and the comments received from Member States, from EFSA and from the notifier, the conclusion continues to apply that plant protection products containing pirimiphos-methyl 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 have been examined and detailed in the Commission review report. It is, however, necessary to restrict the inclusion of pirimiphos-methyl by excluding hand-held applications.
(7)
It is therefore appropriate to amend Directive 91/414/EEC accordingly.
(8)
The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: