Commissioner for Health and Food Safety
Mr. Vytenis Andriukaitis
November 15 2
Dear Vytenis Andriukaitis ,
The regulation of pesticides in Regulation 1107/2009 is a very important tool to
ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment. The public
trust in the regulation depends on the decision taken when a risk has been
identified.
When a risk has been identified in the evaluation of an active substance, we must
reduce the risk as soon as possible. I am fully aware of the difficulties faced by
agriculture in finding alternatives but to retain trust from the public, we need to
prevent further use of these active substances as soon as possible.
Therefore delays in the decision-making process must be avoided. Where critical
concerns have been identified by EFSA, it is not appropriate to delay a decision of
non- renewal of approval of substances posing a risk to human health or the
environment.
Therefore, Denmark urges the Commission to find the resources and put forward
proposals of non-renewal of approval of these active substances for a vote in the
Standing Committee (SCoPAFF) as soon as possible. I would like to suggest a vote
shortly after publication of the Commission’s review report,
that is approximately
6 month after publication of the EFSA conclusion.
In case where the evaluation on an active substance leads a data gap a
“clock-
stop”- and a data submission period must set to allow industry to deliver
additional data. Otherwise the approval of the substances must be withdrawn until
a safe use can be demonstrated.
Yours sincerely,
Jakob Ellemann-Jensen
Ministry of Environment and Food • Slotsholmsgade 12 • 1216
Copenhagen K Denmark
Phone +45 38 14 21 42 • Fax +45 33 14 50 42 • CVR 12854358 • EAN 5798000862005 • [email protected] •
www.mfvm.dk