On January 3, 2024, the European Commission (EC) issued a formal resolution: Based on the EU Plant Protection Products PPP Regulation (REGULATION (EC) No 1107/2009), the EU plant protection product registration of the active substance metolachlor (S-metolachlor) is no longer approved. The draft of this resolution was released by the EU to the WTO in May 2023. This formal resolution is basically consistent with the previous draft.
material background
Spermetholachlor is a chloroacetamide herbicide developed by Novartis (now Syngenta). Its mechanism of action is to inhibit cell growth by hindering the synthesis of very long-chain fatty acids. Metolachlor is applicable to a wide range of crops and is the main herbicide in corn and soybean fields, important food crops in the world.
As of early January 2024, there are 24 technical registrations and 62 preparation registrations for metolachlor in China. The preparation products are mainly used to control annual weeds. At present, spermmetolachlor has been registered in the European Union, the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries and regions.
EU review status
In 2005, metolachlor was approved by the EU for the first time under the old EU Regulation on Plant Protection Products (Directive 91/414/EEC). It was later included in the list of approved active substances in EU plant protection products (COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 540/2011) and is valid until July 31, 2014. Due to the delay in the re-evaluation work, the approval period of metolachlor has been repeatedly extended, with the latest extension being to November 15, 2024.
As early as February 2023, the European Food Safety Authority notified the European Commission of the latest review results on metolachlor, which mainly includes the following risk points:
1. According to monitoring data, the content of spermmetolachlor and its related active metabolites in groundwater exceeds the limit value of 0.1 μg/L, including metabolites that are highly suspected of being genotoxic and carcinogenic.
2. There is a high risk of secondary poisoning for mammals that feed on earthworms.
The European Commission invited applicants to submit comments on the review results, but it has not yet eliminated the EU's concerns about the risks of metolachlor. In the process, the French Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Authority (Anses) responded in February this year and took the lead in banning the main use of the herbicide in France. The formal resolution of the European Commission means that the EU level has finally determined that metolachlor does not meet the approval standards of the EU plant protection products PPP regulations and decided not to approve the active substance.
Source: AgroPages
