(1)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 2032/2003 of 4 November 2003 on the second phase of the 10-year work programme referred to in Article 16(2) of Directive 98/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the placing of biocidal products on the market and amending Regulation (EC) No 1896/2000 (2) establishes a list of active substances to be assessed, with a view to their possible inclusion in Annex I, IA or IB to Directive 98/8/EC. That list includes carbon dioxide.

(2)

Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2032/2003, carbon dioxide has been evaluated in accordance with Article 11(2) of Directive 98/8/EC for use in product-type 14, rodenticides, as defined in Annex V to Directive 98/8/EC.

(3)

France was designated as Rapporteur Member State and submitted the competent authority report, together with a recommendation, to the Commission on 15 May 2006 in accordance with Article 10(5) and (7) of Regulation (EC) No 2032/2003.

(4)

The competent authority report has been reviewed by the Member States and the Commission. In accordance with Article 11(4) of Regulation (EC) No 2032/2003, the findings of the review were incorporated, within the Standing Committee on Biocidal Products on 21 June 2007, in an assessment report.

(5)

The review of carbon dioxide did not reveal any open questions or concerns to be addressed by the Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks.

(6)

It appears from the various examinations made that biocidal products used as rodenticides and containing carbon dioxide may be expected to present only low risk to humans, animals and the environment and to satisfy the requirements laid down in Article 5 of Directive 98/8/EC, in particular with regard to the uses which were examined and detailed in the assessment report. It is therefore appropriate to include carbon dioxide in Annex IA, in order to ensure that in all Member States authorisations or registrations for biocidal products used as rodenticides and containing carbon dioxide can be granted, modified, or cancelled in accordance with Article 16(3) of Directive 98/8/EC.

(7)

It is important that the provisions of this Directive be applied simultaneously in all the Member States in order to ensure equal treatment of biocidal products on the market containing the active substance carbon dioxide and also to facilitate the proper operation of the biocidal products market in general.

(8)

A reasonable period should be allowed to elapse before an active substance is included in Annex IA in order to permit Member States and the interested parties to prepare themselves to meet the new requirements entailed and to ensure that applicants who have prepared dossiers can benefit fully from the 10-year period of data protection, which, in accordance with Article 12(1)(c)(ii) of Directive 98/8/EC, starts from the date of inclusion.

(9)

After inclusion, Member States should be allowed a reasonable period to implement Article 16(3) of Directive 98/8/EC, and in particular, to grant, modify or cancel authorisations or registrations of biocidal products in product-type 14 containing carbon dioxide to ensure that they comply with Directive 98/8/EC.

(10)

Directive 98/8/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(11)

The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Biocidal Products,