13.5.2014

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 138/65

(1)

In accordance with Article 80(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, Council Directive 91/414/EEC (2) is to apply, with respect to the procedure and the conditions for approval, to active substances for which a decision has been adopted in accordance with Article 6(3) of that Directive before 14 June 2011. For Bacillus pumilus QST 2808 the conditions of Article 80(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 are fulfilled by Commission Implementing Decision 2011/253/EU (3).

(2)

In accordance with Article 6(2) of Directive 91/414/EEC the Netherlands received on 3 December 2010 an application from AgraQuest Inc., now Bayer CropScience, for the inclusion of the active substance Bacillus pumilus QST 2808 in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC. Implementing Decision 2011/253/EU confirmed that the dossier was ‘榗omplete‘�in the sense that it could be considered as satisfying, in principle, the data and information requirements of Annexes II and III to Directive 91/414/EEC.

(3)

For that active substance, the effects on human and animal health and the environment have been assessed, in accordance with the provisions of Article 6(2) and (4) of Directive 91/414/EEC, for the uses proposed by the applicant. The designated rapporteur Member State submitted a draft assessment report on 8 May 2012.

(4)

The draft assessment report was reviewed by the Member States and the European Food Safety Authority (hereinafter ‘the Authority‘�. The Authority presented to the Commission its conclusion (4) on the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance Bacillus pumilus QST 2808 on 26 July 2013. The draft assessment report and the conclusion of the Authority were reviewed by the Member States and the Commission within the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health and finalised on 20 March 2014 in the format of the Commission review report for Bacillus pumilus QST 2808.

(5)

It has appeared from the various examinations made that plant protection products containing Bacillus pumilus QST 2808 may be expected to satisfy, in general, the requirements laid down in Article 5(1)(a) and (b) and Article 5(3) of Directive 91/414/EEC, in particular with regard to the uses which were examined and detailed in the Commission review report. It is therefore appropriate to approve Bacillus pumilus QST 2808.

(6)

In accordance with Article 13(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 in conjunction with Article 6 thereof and in the light of current scientific and technical knowledge, it is, however, necessary to include certain conditions and restrictions. It is, in particular, appropriate to require further confirmatory information.

(7)

A reasonable period should be allowed to elapse before approval in order to permit Member States and the interested parties to prepare themselves to meet the new requirements resulting from the approval.

(8)

Without prejudice to the obligations provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 as a consequence of approval, taking into account the specific situation created by the transition from Directive 91/414/EEC to Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, the following should, however, apply. Member States should be allowed a period of six months after approval to review authorisations of plant protection products containing Bacillus pumilus QST 2808. Member States should, as appropriate, vary, replace or withdraw authorisations. By way of derogation from that deadline, a longer period should be provided for the submission and assessment of the complete Annex III dossier, as set out in Directive 91/414/EEC, of each plant protection product for each intended use in accordance with the uniform principles.

(9)

The experience gained from inclusions in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC of active substances assessed in the framework of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3600/92 (5) has shown that difficulties can arise in interpreting the duties of holders of existing authorisations in relation to access to data. In order to avoid further difficulties it therefore appears necessary to clarify the duties of the Member States, especially the duty to verify that the holder of an authorisation demonstrates access to a dossier satisfying the requirements of Annex II to that Directive. However, this clarification does not impose any new obligations on Member States or holders of authorisations compared to the Directives which have been adopted until now amending Annex I to that Directive or the Regulations approving active substances.

(10)

In accordance with Article 13(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 (6) should be amended accordingly.

(11)

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

(a)

in the case of a product containing Bacillus pumilus QST 2808 as the only active substance, where necessary, amend or withdraw the authorisation by 29 February 2016 at the latest; or

(b)

in the case of a product containing Bacillus pumilus QST 2808 as one of several active substances, where necessary, amend or withdraw the authorisation by 29 February 2016 or by the date fixed for such an amendment or withdrawal in the respective act or acts which added the relevant substance or substances to Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC or approved that substance or those substances, whichever is the latest.