EU to extend approvals for nine ais

Nine more active ingredients are to have their EU approvals extended to allow more time to complete procedures for renewing agrochemical authorisations. The ais are: the plant growth regulators, 1-methyl-cyclopropene, daminozide and forchlorfenuron; the fungicides, chlorothalonil and thiophanate-methyl; the herbicides, chlorotoluron and tribenuron; the insecticide/acaricide, cypermethrin; and the insecticide, indoxacarb. Applications for renewal have been submitted for all the ais. The current approvals expire between February 28th 2016 and March 31st 2016. European Commission proposals to extend the expiry dates to October 31st 2017 were cleared by the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health in May. Slow progress in the EU renewal programme has already resulted in approval extensions for 63 ais (Agrow No 654, p 8). The Commission is granting extensions to batches of ais depending on when renewal applications are received.