Evaluation of the emergency authorisations granted by Member State Croatia for plant protection products containing thiamethoxam

Abstract

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was requested by the European Commission to provide technical assistance in accordance with Article 53(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 to examine the emergency authorisations granted in 2020 by the competent national authority in Croatia for plant protection products containing the neonicotinoid active substances (a.s) clothianidin, imidacloprid or thiamethoxam for uses on sugar beet which were restricted when all outdoor uses were prohibited in May 2018. EFSA was asked to assess whether the granting of this emergency authorisation and its wide scope was necessary because of danger which cannot be contained by any other reasonable means. In this context, EFSA collected and evaluated the information in relation to the emergency authorisation for thiamethoxam in Croatia in line with the EFSA insecticide protocol developed in the framework of a mandate concerning the application of Article 4(7) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009. The current technical report summarises the outcome of the evaluation of four crop/pest combinations considered in the evaluation provided by Croatia for authorisations in 2020. The evaluation demonstrated that for the tested pests of sugar beet (Agriotes sp., Atomaria linearis, Bothynoderes punctiventris and Chaetocnema sp.) no sufficient alternative a.s. to thiamethoxam are currently authorised in Croatia. The evaluation included an assessment of non-insecticide alternatives for the presented uses. The possible non-insecticide alternative methods listed to control sugar beet insects in Croatia are crop rotation and well-balanced fertilisation. These practices are applied in more than 50% of the acreage of the crop and are only moderately effective against pests. An assessment for aphids (Aphididae) was not presented.