EU Urgently Bans Pesticide!

The European Commission recently issued a major regulatory decision to ban the use of the herbicide azinoxone across the EU. Although the original approval period was February 15, 2025, based on the latest risk assessment results, the ban will take effect earlier.

This decision was based on the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) 's expert analysis of the assessment materials submitted by Estonia and Germany. EFSA's evaluation report revealed two core issues with azinoxone: First, the substance meets the criteria for human endocrine disruptors and has a significant risk of human exposure in practical applications; Second, the compound poses a potential high risk to pollinators, particularly bees, and this risk is difficult to effectively control through current measures.

Although EFSA has identified a number of non-chemical control alternatives on the market, these options have limitations in terms of effectiveness and economics. In further consideration by the EU Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, the safety risks associated with azinoxone have not been effectively mitigated.

In order to ensure the smooth implementation of the ban, the EU has developed a detailed implementation schedule. Each Member State is required to withdraw authorisation for plant protection products containing azinone within six months of the entry into force of the ban and may, according to its own circumstances, provide a "grace period" for relevant products not exceeding twelve months after the entry into force of the ban. In addition, the ban does not affect the right to resubmit applications for approval in the future for azinoxone.

Azinone is a triazinone herbicide developed by DuPont in the United States, which works by inhibiting the photosynthetic system of sensitive plants. The insecticide has excellent performance in controlling annual broad-leaved weeds and some grass weeds, which are characterized by the fact that sensitive weeds can germinate normally after application, but then appear leaf chlorosis and eventually die due to nutrient depletion. As of July 2024, azinoxone has been registered for use in many major agricultural countries and regions, including China, Australia, the United States, and Brazil. In the Chinese market, there are 21 active drug registrations and 107 preparation registrations.

From the perspective of the global market supply pattern, India is the main supplier of azinoxone, accounting for about 59% of the market share, followed by China accounting for 22%, the United States accounting for 4%, and the rest of the supply from Colombia, Germany and other countries. On the demand side, the United States is the largest importer, accounting for about 60% of global imports, with Argentina and Brazil accounting for 8% and 6% of the market, respectively.