Advisory Committee on Pesticides Annual Report 2001

<strong>Advisory</strong> <strong>Committee</strong> on Pesticides Annual Report 2001
The European Community pesticide approvals process
The current UK system of pesticide approvals provided under COPR is
gradually being replaced by arrangements based on European Community
(EC) requirements. These are based upon Council Directive 91/414/EEC,
which establishes rules for placing plant protection products (broadly
agricultural pesticides) on the market. This legislation is implemented in
Great Britain by the Plant Protection Products Regulations 1995 (PPPR)
(as amended).
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Since implementation of the Directive on 25 July 1993, all products containing
active substances, which are new to the Community, must be authorised
under Directive 91/414/EEC (and hence in the UK they are subject to PPPR).
The Directive is intended to harmonise arrangements for authorisation of plant
protection products within the Community although authorisation will remain
the responsibility of individual Member States. Products containing active
substances, which were already on the market at the date of implementation
of the Directive, continue to be subject to national rules (COPR in the UK).
However, these active substances are being scheduled for review under a
collaborative EC Review Programme. If they are found to be acceptable at
review, authorisation will be granted under Directive 91/414/EEC (PPPR in the
UK). A list of active substances authorised by the Community for use in plant
protection products is being assembled in Annex I to the Directive. This will
be augmented over a period of time as existing active substances are reviewed
and new ones authorised.
Under PPPR, provisional approvals for a new active substance may be issued
for three years whilst the EC is evaluating the active substance for inclusion
in Annex I of the Council Directive 91/414/EEC. Once an active substance
is included in Annex I, plant protection products that contain it may be
approved under a system of mutual recognition. This allows authorisations
to be granted more easily in individual Member States, but it is still necessary
to demonstrate that the specific uses proposed for each product will be
acceptable, taking into account the way in which the active substance
will be formulated, and national climatic and agronomic conditions.
In addition to the legislation already mentioned, Council Directive 98/8/EC
lays down a regime for biocidal products (including all other products
regulated as pesticides in the UK and some that are not so regulated at
present). The Biocidal Products Regulations 2001 implement this Directive
in the UK.