Updating the opinion related to the revision of Annexes II and III to Council Directive 91/414/EEC concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market - Residues

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) asked its Panel on Plant Protection Products and their Residues to review the Opinions of the PPR Panel issued in 2006 and 2007 related to the revision of Annexes II and III to Council Directive 91/414/EEC (data requirements) concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market. The present opinion is an update to the existing opinion on Annex II & III -Residues (EFSA, 2006c). The PPR Panel notes that since the publication of it previous opinion, eight OECD test guidelines and four OECD guidance documents in the field of residues have become available and recommends this new information be thoroughly considered in the establishment of the data requirements in annexes II and III to Directive 91/414/EC. Moreover, when the new Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the placing of plant protection products on the market is in place, it may again be necessary to define additional requirements to address certain issues e.g. pesticides which may disrupt the endocrine system, safeners and synergists, co-formulants. In addition, the PPR Panel cannot at present give a definitive statement on whether or not the data requirements given in Annex II and III are sufficient to gauge risks of nanopesticides, since such an assessment would require substantial scientific efforts and time which could not be provided within the frame of the present mandate. The PPR Panel emphasises that the recommendations in its previous opinion still stand.