EU issues draft guidance on comparative assessment

The European Commission has issued draft guidance on comparative assessment (CA) and substitution of agrochemical products with safer alternatives. The procedure was introduced with the EU agrochemical registration Regulation (1107/2009) and would apply to products containing active ingredients that have been designated as candidates for substitution. Disagreement over the identification of such ais has delayed the implementation of CA. Nevertheless, the Commission expects the guidance to apply for agrochemical applications submitted from April 1st 2015.