Protocol for the evaluation of data concerning the necessity of the application of insecticide 1 active substance s to control a serious danger to plant health which cannot be contained by other available means, including non - chemical methods

Abstract

Followi ng a request from the European Commission (EC) , the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) initiated a procedure for the evaluation of data supporting the necessity of the application of insecticide active substances to control a serious danger to plant hea lth within the context of Article 4(7) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009. EFSA established an ad hoc working group (WG) who proposed a methodology for conducting this type of evaluation. The draft protocol was circulated among European Union Member States (MS) for commenting. The aim of this protocol is to enable a consistent and transparent evaluation of submissions made by applicants in accordance with the derogation detailed in Article 4(7) of Regulation (EU) No 1107/2009 to confirm the lack of other available means capable of controlling an identified serious danger to plant health. All the evaluation s are made for each specific crop/pest combinat ion separately for which a derogation is requested . Usually , derogation for the use of an insecticide a ctive s ubstance is not scientifically supported if an alternative control program me not requiring the application of an insecticide can manage the specif ic crop/pest combination under consideration, or if another a ctive s ubstance with the same mode of action (IRAC) as the a ctive s ubstance under consideration is available. I f these condition s are not verified, the process moves to the evaluation of: 1) t he risk of resistance associated to the different mode of action of all a ctive substances that are authori s ed in the MS; 2) t he risk of resistance associated to the different pests; 3) t he availability of non - insecticide alternatives.