BAKGRUNN (fra kommisjonsforordningen)

(1) Commission Directive 2008/70/EC (2) included Tritosulfuron as an active substance in Annex I to Council Directive 91/414/EEC (3).

(2) According to Article 78(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, active substances included in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC are deemed to have been approved under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 and are listed in Part A of the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 (4).

(3) The approval of the active substance tritosulfuron, as set out in Part A of the Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011, expires on 15 July 2025.

(4) An application for the renewal of the approval of tritosulfuron was submitted in accordance with Article 1 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 844/2012 (5) within the time period provided for in that Article.

(5) On 14 July 2023 the European Food Safety Authority communicated its Conclusions of the risk assessment for tritosulfuron. The Authority did not identify any specific risks but did conclude that several parts of the risk assessment could not be finalised.

(6) On 8 May 2024, the applicant informed the Commission of their decision to withdraw the application for the renewal of approval of tritosulfuron.

(7) It is therefore appropriate not to renew the approval of the active substance tritosulfuron in accordance with Article 20(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009.

(8) Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(9) Member States should be provided with sufficient time to withdraw authorisations.

(10) For plant protection products containing tritosulfuron, where Member States grant any grace period in accordance with Article 46 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, that period should be as short as possible and not exceed 12 months from the date of entry into force of this Regulation.

(11) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1757 (6) postpones the expiry of tritosulfuron to 15 July 2025 in order to allow the renewal process to be completed before the expiry of the approval of that substance. Given that a decision has been taken ahead of this extended expiry date, this Regulation should apply as soon as possible.

(12) This Regulation does not prevent the submission of a new application for the approval of the active substance tritosulfuron pursuant to Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009.

(13) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,