Chemical name: Acetamide, 2-chloro-N-(1-methylethyl)-N-phenyl-

Final regulatory action has been taken for the category: Pesticide

Final regulatory action: The chemical is Banned

Use or uses prohibited by the final regulatory action:

All applications as a plant protection product.

Pesticide use or uses that remain allowed:

Not relevant.

The final regulatory action was based on a risk or hazard evaluation: Yes

Summary of the final regulatory action:

It is prohibited to place on the market or use plant protection products containing propachlor. Propachlor is not included in the list of authorised active substances in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EC. Authorisations for plant protection products containing propachlor had to be withdrawn by 18 March 2009. From 19 September 2008 no authorisations for plant protection products containing propachlor were allowed to be granted or renewed by the Member States and all uses of plant protection products containing propachlor were prohibited as from 18 March 2010.

The reasons for the final regulatory action were relevant to: Human health and environment

Summary of known hazards and risks to human health:

Propachlor is classified as harmful and irritant. It must be assigned risk phrases R22 'harmful if swallowed', R36 'Irritating to eyes' and R43 'May cause sensitisation by skin contact'.

According to the Draft Assessment Report operators without personal protection equipments using mechanical spraying of propachlor on onions and shallots are at risk.

Expected effect of the final regulatory action in relation to human health:

Reduction of risk from the use of plant protection products.

Summary of known hazards and risks to the environment:

Propachlor was assessed as a compound with a high mobility in soil and not readily biodegradable. Concerns were raised about the leaching to groundwater of propachlor metabolites, which is above 0.l µg/l in all modelled scenarios for three relevant metabolites and above 10 µg/l in all modelled scenarios for two of them.

The toxicity to birds, mammals and earthworms was identified as a significant issue. The risk evaluation related to the environment also pointed out that there was substantial lack of data to assess the risk to birds and mammals exposed to propachlor.

Expected effect of the final regulatory action in relation to the environment:

Reduction of risk from the use of plant protection products.

Date of entry into force of the final regulatory action: 18/03/2010

Complete entry into force of all provisions of Commission Decision 2008/742/EC of 18 September 2008 was 18 March 2010 since all uses of plant protection products containing propachlor were prohibited as from that date at the latest.