Mancozeb approval may be withdrawn following recent review
10th January 2024
Following a review done by the UK’s Health and Safety Executive, the governmental body proposes to withdraw approval for the active substance mancozeb, a multi-site fungicide.
According to information issued by UPL Europe Ltd and Indofil Industries (Netherlands) BV, this decision follows a comprehensive review under Article 21 of the retained Regulation (EC) 1107/2009, which allows HSE to reassess the approval of any pesticide-active substance in light of new scientific data.
The review considered the evidence for continuing approval of mancozeb, including supporting data submitted by UPL Europe Ltd and Indofil Industries (Netherlands) BV, part of the EU Mancozeb Task Force. The inspection concluded that mancozeb does not meet the approval criteria, and HSE therefore proposes to withdraw mancozeb from Great Britain.
Date yet to be confirmed
However, the approval of the active substance mancozeb, which expires on 31st January 2024, will be extended, most likely for an interim period of three months. Withdrawal periods for approved products containing mancozeb are yet to be confirmed by HSE.
UPL Europe Ltd and Indofil Industries (Netherlands) BV will advise customers as soon as this information is available.
The spokesperson for UPL Europe Ltd and Indofil Industries Netherlands BV said that the companies fully appreciate the importance of mancozeb for the control of potato blight, in particular its multi-site activity for resistance management. Therefore, they will work closely with global and UK stakeholders and the UK authorities to evaluate what options are available to maintain the availability of mancozeb products in the UK.
Mancozeb is a widely used fungicide approved for use in agriculture in many countries with long persistence in the environment and consequent bioaccumulation in tissues and biological fluids. It has been a valuable tool to help control the disease in 2023 across the country and preserve the efficiency of existing products.
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