4.6.2005   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 141/10

(1)

The following existing active substances have been included in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC: maleic hydrazide by Commission Directive 2003/31/EC (4); propyzamide by Commission Directive 2003/39/EC (5); and mecoprop and mecoprop-p by Commission Directive 2003/70/EC (6).

(2)

The new active substances isoxaflutole, trifloxystrobin, carfentrazone-ethyl and fenamidone were included in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC by Commission Directive 2003/68/EC (7).

(3)

The inclusion in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC of the active substances concerned was based on the assessment of the information submitted concerning the proposed use. Information relating to this use has been submitted by certain Member States in accordance with Article 4(1)(f) of Directive 91/414/EEC. The information available has been reviewed and is sufficient to allow certain maximum residue levels (MRLs) to be fixed.

(4)

Where no Community MRL or provisional MRL exists, Member States are to establish a national provisional MRL in accordance with Article 4(1)(f) of Directive 91/414/EEC before plant protection products containing these active substances may be authorised.

(5)

Community MRLs and the levels recommended by the Codex Alimentarius are fixed and evaluated following similar procedures. There are a limited number of Codex MRLs for maleic hydrazide. There are already Community MRLs in Directive 90/642/EEC for: maleic hydrazide, (Council Directive 93/58/EC) (8) and in Directives 86/362/EEC and 90/642/EEC for: propyzamide (Council Directives 96/32/EC (9) and 96/33/EC (10)). These have been considered when setting the MRLs concerned by the adaptations made by this Directive. Codex MRLs that will be recommended for withdrawal in the near future were not taken into account. The MRLs based on Codex MRLs having been evaluated in the light of the risks for the consumers. No risk was established when using the toxicological end points based on the studies available to the Commission.

(6)

With respect to the inclusion in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC of the active substances concerned, the related technical and scientific evaluations were finalised in the form of Commission review reports. The assessment reports for those substances mentioned were finalised on the dates as mentioned in the Commission Directives cited in Recitals 1 and 2. These reports fixed the acceptable daily intake (ADI) and if necessary, the acute reference dose (ARfD) for the substances concerned. The exposure of consumers of food products treated with the active substance concerned has been assessed and evaluated in accordance with Community procedures. Account has also been taken of guidelines published by the World Health Organisation (11) and the opinion of the Scientific Committee for Plants (12) on the methodology employed. It is concluded that MRLs proposed will not lead to those ADIs or ARfD being exceeded.

(7)

In order to ensure that the consumer is adequately protected from exposure to residues resulting from unauthorised uses of plant protection products, provisional MRLs should be set for the relevant product/pesticide combinations at the lower limit of analytical determination.

(8)

The setting at Community level of such provisional MRLs does not prevent the Member States from establishing provisional MRLs for the substances concerned in accordance with Article 4(1)(f) of Directive 91/414/EEC and Annex VI thereto. It is considered that a period of four years is sufficient to permit further uses of the active substance concerned. The provisional MRL should then become definitive.

(9)

It is therefore necessary to add or replace, all of the pesticide residues arising from the use of these plant protection products to the Annexes to Directives 86/362/EEC and 90/642/EEC to allow for proper surveillance and control of the prohibition of their uses and to protect the consumer. Where MRLs have already been defined in the annexes to those directives it is appropriate to modify them. Where MRLs have not been defined until now, it is appropriate to set them for the first time.

(10)

Directives 86/362/EEC and 90/642/EEC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(11)

The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

(a)

in Part A of Annex II the maximum pesticide residue levels for isoxaflutole, trifloxystrobin, carfentrazone-ethyl, mecoprop, mecoprop-p, maleic hydrazide and fenamidone as shown in Annex I to this Directive are added;

(b)

in Part A of Annex II the maximum pesticide residue levels for propyzamide are replaced by those as shown in Annex II to this Directive.

(a)

in Annex II the maximum pesticide residue levels for isoxaflutole, trifloxystrobin, carfentrazone-ethyl, mecoprop, mecoprop-p and fenamidone as shown in Annex III to this Directive are added.

(b)

in Annex II the maximum pesticide residue levels for propyzamide and maleic hydrazide are replaced by those as shown in Annex IV to this Directive.