Evaluation of the emergency authorisations granted by Member State Finland for plant protection products containing clothianidin, imidacloprid or 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 Finland 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 clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam in Finland 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 Finland in 2020. The evaluation demonstrated that for the examined pests (Phyllotreta sp., Lygus sp., Pegomya hyoscyani, Pegomyia betae, Agriotes lineatus, Atomaria linearis, Blaniulus sp. and Scutigerella immaculata) no other insecticides or not sufficient alternative active substances to neonicotinoids are currently authorised in Finland in order to provide alternative mode of actions (MoA). Possible non-insecticide alternative methods listed to control sugar beet insects in Finland are: crop rotation (applied in more than 50% of the acreage of the crop) and preservation of soil quality that are moderately effective.