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BASAMID NEWS (11/03/2011)

Dazomet (Basamid®): the first soil fumigant included in Annex I of Directive 91/414/EEC on plant protection products

Brussels, 14 March 2011 - The European Commission’s Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH) voted in favor of the plant protection product dazomet at its meeting of 10-11 March 2011. By adopting the draft Directive for the inclusion of dazomet in Annex 1 of Directive 91/414 proposed by the European Commission’s Directorate for Health and Consumers, the Member States made dazomet (Basamid®) the first authorized soil fumigant under Annex 1 of Directive 91/414/EEC.

For more than 30 years, dazomet has been the key soil fumigant for a number of specialty crops all over the world. It has a broad spectrum of activity on the main soil-borne diseases and pests (fungi, weeds, nematodes and insects). Dazomet (Basamid®) effectively reduces the level of plant pathogens and weeds prior to crop planting, thus allowing growers to be competitive in producing high levels of fruit and vegetable yield, and maintaining high quality produce. Dazomet (Basamid®) is in line with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles and the objectives of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive (2009/128/EC), reducing the need for other crop protection treatments. Basamid® is a product of Kanesho Soil Treatment SPRL/BVBA (KST), a joint venture of Agro-Kanesho and Mitsui & Co. The EU distribution of Basamid® is in the hands of Mitsui AgriScience’s subsidiary Certis Europe, where it is part of the CleanStart® range of products and solutions.

Dazomet is one of the 84 substances of the third stage part B of the review programme of existing active substances covered by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1490/2002 as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1095/2007. Following voluntary withdrawal of dazomet by KST and the subsequent Commission Decision of 5 December 2008 (2008/934/EC) concerning the non-inclusion of dazomet in Annex I, KST made a resubmission application for the inclusion of dazomet in Annex 1 by 10 June 2009. Following EFSA evaluation, the European Commission (DG SANCO) put forward a draft Directive for inclusion, which was supported by a majority of Member States in the Standing Committee on phytopharmaceuticals on 11 March 2011. The Directive will enter into force on 1 June 2011.

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