Commission Directive 2008/77/EC of 25 July 2008 amending Directive 98/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council to include thiamethoxam as an active substance in Annex I thereto (Text with EEA relevance)

• Published date: 26 July 2008
• Subject Matter: Plant health legislation,Environment,Internal market - Principles,Approximation of laws,Free movement of goods
• Official Gazette Publication: Official Journal of the European Union, L 198, 26 July 2008

26.7.2008 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 198/41

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COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2008/77/EC

of 25 July 2008

amending Directive 98/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council to include thiamethoxam as an active substance in Annex I thereto

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Directive 98/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 1998 concerning the placing of biocidal products on the market (1), and in particular the second subparagraph of Article 16(2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1451/2007 of 4 December 2007 on the second phase of the 10-year work programme referred to in Article 16(2) of Directive 98/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the placing of biocidal products on the market (2) establishes a list of active substances to be assessed, with a view to their possible inclusion in Annex I, IA or IB to Directive 98/8/EC. That list includes thiamethoxam.

(2) Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1451/2007, thiamethoxam has been evaluated in accordance with Article 11(2) of Directive 98/8/EC for use in product type 8, wood preservatives, as defined in Annex V to Directive 98/8/EC.

(3) Spain was designated as Rapporteur Member State and submitted the competent authority report, together with a recommendation, to the Commission on 27 July 2007 in accordance with Article 14(4) and (6) of Regulation (EC) No 1451/2007.

(4) The competent authority report was reviewed by the Member States and the Commission. In accordance with Article 15(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1451/2007, the findings of the review were incorporated, within the Standing Committee on Biocidal Products on 22 February 2008, in an assessment report.

(5) It appears from the examinations made that biocidal products used as wood preservatives and containing thiamethoxam may be expected to satisfy the requirements laid down in Article 5 of Directive 98/8/EC. It is therefore appropriate to include thiamethoxam in Annex I, in order to ensure that in all Member States authorisations for biocidal products used as wood preservatives and containing thiamethoxam can be granted, modified, or cancelled in accordance with Article 16(3) of Directive 98/8/EC.

(6) However, unacceptable risks were identified for the in situ treatment of wood outdoors and for treated wood exposed to weathering. Therefore, authorisations for these uses should not be granted unless data have been submitted in order to demonstrate that the products can be used without unacceptable risks to the environment.

(7) In the light of the findings of the assessment report, it is appropriate to require that risk mitigation measures are applied at product authorisation level to products containing thiamethoxam and used as wood preservatives to ensure that risks are reduced to an acceptable level in accordance with Article 5 of Directive 98/8/EC and Annex VI thereto. In particular, appropriate measures should be taken to protect the soil

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