Evaluation of the emergency authorisations granted by Member State Denmark for plant protection products containing imidacloprid

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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 Denmark for plant protection products containing the neonicotinoid active substance (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 these emergency authorisations and their wide scope were necessary because of danger which cannot be contained by any other reasonable means. In this context, EFSA collected and evaluated the information on the emergency authorisations for imidacloprid in Denmark 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. This technical report summarises the outcome of the evaluation of two crop/pest combinations considered in Denmark in 2020. It demonstrated that for the two crop/pest combinations (sugar, fodder and energy beet/aphids and sugar, fodder and energy beet/soil and seedling pests) no sufficient alternative active substance to imidacloprid is currently authorised in Denmark, that provided an alternative mode of action (MoA). The evaluation included an assessment of non‐insecticide alternatives for the presented uses. For the crop pest/combination, sugar, fodder and energy beet/aphids, three methods, i.e. crop rotation, soil tillage and change in planting/harvesting dates, are available. However, these methods are not considered effective. For the crop/pest combination sugar, fodder and energy beet/soil and seedling pests, two non‐insecticide methods are available. Crop rotation is highly effective for some of these pests, considered as feasible and is practiced on a large scale. Soil tillage is a moderately effective and feasible cultural method and is used on a large scale.