Article 8(2) of Directive 91/414/EEC provides that a Member State may, during a period of 12 years following the notification of that Directive, authorise the placing on the market of plant protection products containing active substances not listed in Annex I to that Directive that are already on the market two years after the date of notification, while those substances are gradually being examined within the framework of a programme of work.

Commission Regulation (EC) No 451/20002 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1490/20023 lay down the detailed rules for the implementation of the second and third stages of the programme of work referred to in Article 8(2) of Directive 91/414/EEC. For active substances for which a notifier fails to fulfil its obligations under these Regulations no completeness check or evaluation of the dossier shall be performed. For cresylic acid, dichlorophen, imazamethabenz, kasugamycin and polyoxin either no complete dossier has been submitted or the notifier has declared that no dossier will be submitted within the prescribed time limit. As a consequence, these active substances should not be included in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC and Member States should withdraw all authorisations for plant protection products containing these substances.

For the active substances for which there is only a short period of advance notice for the withdrawal of plant protection products containing such substances, it is reasonable to provide for a period of grace for disposal, storage, placing on the market and use of existing stocks for a period of no longer than 12 months to allow existing stocks to be used in no more than one further growing season. In cases where a longer advance notice period is provided, such period can be shortened to expire at the end of the growing season.

For dichlorophen, imazamethabenz, kasugamycin and polyoxin, information has been presented and evaluated by the Commission together with Member State experts which has shown a need for further use of the substance concerned. In such cases temporary measures should be provided for to enable the development of alternatives.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,