BASF's tritosulfuron gains full EU approval
Date:07-16-2008
The European Commission has confirmed the completion of the EU registration process for BASF's new small-grain cereal and maize herbicide, tritosulfuron. The active ingredient will be added to Annex I of the EU agrochemical registration Directive (91/414) on December 1st 2008. The approval was cleared by the EU pesticide regulatory committee earlier this year. Tritosulfuron already holds provisional approvals in several EU countries, where it is available in combination products with dicamba.
The EU registration process for the new ai has taken seven years. BASF originally submitted its application in June 2001 to Germany as rapporteur member state. The ai's three-year provisional approvals were extended in 2007 to allow extra time to complete the EU evaluation, which included a separate risk assessment of the metabolite, TBSA, in soil and ground water. The conditions of the Annex I listing stipulate that EU member states must impose appropriate measures, where necessary, to reduce the potential for groundwater contamination in vulnerable areas, and to protect aquatic organisms and small mammals.
Meanwhile, the Commission has confirmed that EU member states may extend existing provisional approvals for BASF's new rice herbicide, profoxydim, for up to two years. This follows clearance for the move by the EU regulatory committee. Further information on the ai was requested from BASF and more time is required for the rapporteur member state, Spain, to evaluate this new data, the Commission says. This is the third such extension for the profoxydim. BASF originally submitted its application for EU approval in March 1998.
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