EU and GB pesticide approval changes - Yearly review 2023

23/04/2024
Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
Category: Uncategorized

EU and GB pesticide approval changes – Yearly review 2023

Review of EU and GB pesticide approval changes during 2023

During 2023, the European Commission (EC) published 201 changes to plant protection product (PPP) approvals within the European Union (EU). These include 87 changes concerning substances that are of importance for African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) horticulture.

Great Britain (GB) has published 182 changes to PPP approvals involving 50 changes concerning substances that are of importance for ACP horticulture.

How will ACP producers/exporters be affected?
Many of these changes to EU regulations involve the loss of approval, so that a substance can no longer be used within the EU. This may be due to non-approval, withdrawal of approval or expiration of approval. Loss of approval is generally followed by a change to the maximum residue levels (MRLs), which are likely to be reduced to the limit of determination (LoD). In most cases, when an MRL is reduced to the LoD, the substance can no longer be used on crops for export to the EU. The implications are the same when there is a loss of GB authorisation.

What should ACP producers/exporters do now?
If you currently use one of the PPPs affected on crops destined for the EU or GB market, you need to ensure that the current Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) allow you to comply with new MRLs in these countries, or start looking as early as possible for alternative crop protection solutions. If any of these changes are likely to cause you significant problems, and you fear being left without effective and available alternatives, please contact COLEAD at: network@colead.link.

We will keep you informed as more information becomes available.
If you require more frequent updates on PPP approval changes in the EU, we invite you to visit our AGRINFO website and subscribe to the bi-monthly newsletter on EU regulations.

Following the UK departure from the EU, the PPP approvals for GB have been following a different review process since January 2021. Note that EU approvals still apply in Northern Ireland. Great Britain is the mainland comprising England, Scotland and Wales.

COLEAD’s regulation monitoring now covers both EU and GB approval changes, enabling us to keep our members and partner-beneficiaries up-to-date.

In this news, ‘key active substances’ refers to those used/registered in one or more ACP countries on horticultural crops that are frequently exported regionally or internationally. This criteria is based on information extracted from the latest national lists of registered plant protection products provided by 34 ACP countries. To confirm if your country is included, please refer to the list here. If your country is not listed, we highly recommend reaching out to your national authorities. While COLEAD makes every effort to provide comprehensive information about EU and GB PPP regulatory changes, it is possible that some PPPs or crops relevant to you are not included in our list of key substances/crops. We recommend that you review Table 1, which gives details on all changes in 2023, to check for any others that could affect you. If you see any PPP that you use on crops for export to the EU or GB in the lists below, we recommend that you check the regulation itself using the link provided.

Key changes of approvals in the EU in 2023

In the European Union (EU), 201 changes to EU PPP approvals were introduced in 2023 involving, renewals and non-renewals, as well as changes to conditions of approval. These included changes affecting the following 16 substances that are key in ACP horticulture:

Abamectin (renewal of approval – expiry date: 31 March 2038)
Bacillus thuringiensis Kurstaki SA-12 (renewal of approval – expiry date: 30 June 2038)
Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki SA-11 (renewal of approval – expiry date: 30 June 2038)
Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki EG2348 (renewal of approval – expiry date: 30 June 2038)
Bacillus thuringiensis aizawai strain ABTS-1857 (renewal of approval – expiry date: 30 June 2038)
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain QST 713 (renewal of approval – expiry date: 30 June 2038)
Bacillus thuringiensis aizawai-GC-91 (renewal of approval – expiry date: 30 June 2038)
Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis strain AM65-52 (renewal of approval – expiry date: 30 June 2038)
Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki ABTS-351 (renewal of approval – expiry date: 30 June 2038)
Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki PB 54 (renewal of approval – expiry date: 30 June 2038)
Oxamyl (non-renewal of approval – expiry date: 01 May 2023)
Metiram (non-renewal of approval – expiry date: 28 November 2023)
Clofentezine (non-renewal of approval – expiry date: 11 November 2023)
Trichoderma atroviride AT10 (approval as low-risk substance – expiry date: 20 February 2038)
Trichoderma atroviride agr2 (approval as low-risk substance – expiry date: 20 February 2038)
Ethephon (renewal of approval – expiry date: 31 January 2039)

The approval changes for 71 other key substances refer to an extension of the approval period to allow a full review of applications for renewal of approval (see table 1).

All PPP approval changes introduced in the EU in 2023

Table 1 shows all changes to PPP approvals introduced in the EU in 2023.

If you require additional information, or face particular problems as a result of these changes, please contact COLEAD at: network@colead.link.

Changes of approval in GB in 2023

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published 3 decisions concerning changes to GB plant protection product (PPP) approvals in 2023. In addition, extensions of approvals were published for 179 PPPs in the GB approvals register (see table 2).

Approval of Beauveria bassiana strain PPRI 5339 (Expiry date: 20/02/2029)
Withdrawal of the approval of alpha-cypermethrin (Expiry date: 06/04/2023)
Approval of isoflucypram (Expiry date: 31/03/2026)

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union.

This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.

EU and GB pesticide approval changes – Yearly review 2023