Chemical name: Benzenemethanol, 4-chloro-.alpha.-(4-chlorophenyl)-.alpha.-(trichloromethyl)-

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 dicofol. Dicofol is not included in the list of authorised active substances in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EC. Authorisations for plant protection products containing dicofol had to be withdrawn by 30 March 2009.

From 1 October 2008, no authorisations for plant protection products containing dicofol were allowed to be granted or renewed by the Member States and all uses of plant protection products containing dicofol were prohibited as from 30 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:

Based on the available data, health concerns were raised about the operator, worker and consumer exposure to dicofol. There are clear indications that it may be expected that the substance has harmful effects on human health and in particular on both operators and workers, because the exposure is greater than 100% of the AOEL. The Draft Assessment Report underlined that there was a considerable risk for operators using and applying dicofol and for workers re-entering a field treated with dicofol.

The review report also stressed that there was substantial lack of data to assess consumer exposure to dicofol.

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:

Based on the available data, environmental concerns were raised about the potential of dicofol for bioaccumulation in aquatic species and the long-term risk to birds and mammals. The Draft Assessment Report identified unacceptable long term risk for herbivorous, insectivorous and vermivorous birds. It also mentioned that vermivorous mammals could be exposed to unacceptable risk due to secondary poisoning.

The review report also underlined that there was a substantial lack of data to assess the risk to birds, aquatic organisms, mammals and arthropods exposed to dicofol.

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: 30/03/2010

Complete entry into force of all provisions of Commission Decision 2008/764/EC of 30 September 2008 was 30 March 2010 since all uses of plant protection products containing dicofol were prohibited as from that date at the latest.