Mancozeb banned in the EU!

The implementing regulation (EU) 2020/2087, published in the OJEU, has just recorded the non-renewal of the authorisation of mancozeb, the Member States had given their favourable opinion at the meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants (Phytopharmaceuticals section - Legislation) on 22/23 October last.

This molecule is authorised on many crops, particularly vines, cereals, fruit and vegetables. France currently has just over 90 phytopharmaceutical solutions containing mancozeb.

The EFSA has classified mancozeb as a category 1B reproductive toxicant and an endocrine disruptor.

Marketing authorisations containing mancozeb will have to be withdrawn by 4 July 2021 at the latest. Grace periods are granted until 4 January 2022.

The MRLs for mancozeb are covered by the MRLs established for dithiocarbamates which also include maneb, metiram, propineb, thiram, ziram expressed as carbon disulphide (CS2). The MRLs cannot be lowered individually for mancozeb without affecting the other substances included in the group of dithiocarbamates. MRLs for dithiocarbamates should be reviewed as a whole, with some substances approved and others not, while taking into account other additional sources of CS2 (endogenous sources). Due to the complexity of this re-evaluation, the process of re-evaluating MRLs could take longer than expected according to the European Commission.

Your Phytocontrol laboratory will accompany you in the specific analysis of dithiocarbamates in CS2 according to European regulations in products of plant origin under COFRAC accreditation. We have also developed an innovative method, unpublished in France, which allows us to determine the endogenous or exogenous nature of the presence of CS2 by identifying and quantifying three main families of dithiocarbamates (Dimethyldithiocarbamates, Ethylenebisdithiocarbamates, Propylenebisdithiocarbamates) in products of plant origin under COFRAC accreditation.

You can consult our COFRAC technical appendix N°1-1904 available in your customer area or on the COFRAC website.

Need technical, regulatory and tariff information? Our customer service is available from 8 am to 8 pm Monday to Friday at +44 (0) 2037 430 973 or service-clients@phytocontrol.com.

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