The EU review removed the restriction on the use of Metconazole as a fungicide and plant growth regulator in the previous approval

Recently, the European Commission issued a formal announcement announcing that based on the EU pesticide REGULATION (EC) No 1107/2009, the EU reassessment of Metconazole has been approved, and the approval validity has been extended to August 31, 2031. The announcement will take effect from September 1, 2024, and the active substance specification of metconazole will remain unchanged after taking effect, and two related impurities will be added.

Background 

Metconazole is a broad-spectrum endotriazole fungicide that acts as an inhibitor of C-14 demethylation in ergosterol biosynthesis, interfering with fungal cell membrane synthesis and ultimately leading to the death of pathogenic fungi. Compared with traditional fungicides, Metconazole has a very low dose and a wide range of control over cereal plants. It is mainly used to control a variety of fungal diseases such as rust, powdery mildew and leaf spot.

Since its launch in 1993, Metconazole has been widely used in many agriculturally developed regions such as Europe, North America and South America. As of July 2024, there are 2 technical registrations and 4 formulations registered in China.

Eu review 

In 2007, Metconazole was approved under the old EU Regulation on Plant Protection Products (Directive 91/414/EEC). It was later included in the List of approved active Substances for plant protection Products (COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 540/2011), with the approval valid until 31 March 2017. In 2014, BASF submitted a re-review application, which experienced several delays, and finally achieved a phased outcome last year.

On August 24, 2023, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published the conclusions of the risk assessment for the rereview of Metconazole: No critical areas of concern were identified in the assessment of human health, environmental non-target organisms, and environmental impacts, and no potential endocrine disrupting effects of Metconazole on human and environmental non-target organisms were identified.

As a result, the Commission concluded that Metconazole met the criteria for approval under the EU Plant Protection Products Regulation and that although the reevaluation of Metconazole was based on a limited number of typical uses, this did not limit the possible uses for which its formulations could be authorised, thus lifting the restriction on its use as a fungicide and plant growth regulator in the previous approval