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Draft Commission Implementing Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1235/2008 as regards the date for receiving requests for the recognition of control authorities and control bodies for the purpose of equivalence under the arrangements for imports of organic products based on Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007: Regulation 2018/848, which repeals Regulation (EC) No 834/2007, was initially planned to enter into application on 1st January 2021. For this reason, the possibility for the control authorities and control bodies to be recognised for certification of organic products in third countries under Article 33 (3) of Regulation 834/2007 was phased out in June 2020. However, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related public health crisis, the date of application of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 has been postponed by one year (by Regulation (EU) 2020/1693) . (...)

Draft Commission Implementing Regulation withdrawing the approval of the active substance alpha-cypermethrin in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market, and amending Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011: (...) This decision only concerns the placing on the market of this substance and plant protection products containing it. Following withdrawal and the expiry of all grace periods for stocks of products containing this substance, separate action will likely be taken on MRLs and a separate notification will be made in accordance with SPS procedures.

Implementing Regulations (EU) No 540/2011 and 820/2011 as regards the conditions of approval of the active substance terbuthylazine: This draft Commission Implementing Regulation provides that the approval of the active substance terbuthylazine is amended to set revised limits for two toxicologically relevant impurities in the technical material and to introduce a restriction to the rate and frequency of use of the substance. EU Member States shall review authorisations for plant protection products containing terbuthylazine as an active substance. (...)

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning batteries and waste batteries, repealing Directive 2006/66/EC and amending Regulation (EU) No 2019/1020: This draft Regulation concerns sustainability, safety, labelling and information requirements for the placing on the Union market of batteries as well as due diligence requirements for economic operators and requirements for the end-of-life treatment of waste batteries. (...)

Batteries are an important source of energy and one of the key enablers for sustainable development, green mobility, clean energy and climate neutrality. In order for the EU's product policies to contribute to these objectives, it needs to be ensured that batteries marketed and sold in the Union are sourced and manufactured in a sustainable manner. Addressing the entire life cycle of batteries placed on the EU market requires the setting up of harmonised product and marketing requirements, including conformity assessment procedures. The proposed supply chain due diligence policy aims to address the social and environmental risks that can be associated to the extraction, processing and trading of certain raw materials for battery manufacturing purposes. The increased use of recovered materials would support the development of the circular economy and allow a more resource-efficient use of materials. Ensuring a low carbon footprint of batteries addresses the fact that climate change is the second largest environmental impact for the life cycle of batteries (after the use of minerals and metals) and is necessary to ensure that the Union's objective to decarbonise the mobility and energy storage sectors is achieved, in line with the internationally agreed objectives on climate change.
Further, batteries should be designed and manufactured so as to optimise their performance, durability and safety. The use of hazardous substances in batteries should be restricted in order to protect human health and the environment and to reduce the presence of such substances in waste.

Requirements concerning the end-of-life stage are necessary to address the environmental implications of the batteries and to support the creation of recycling markets for batteries and markets for secondary raw materials from batteries in order to close the materials loops.

In order to better reflect new developments in the use of batteries, the proposal distinguishes between different categories of batteries in accordance with their design and use, independent of the battery chemistry. This classification is used to apply certain requirements only to those market segments of batteries that will have the most impact on the sustainability aspects concerned. It also facilitates monitoring of collection and recycling of different types of batteries;

Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste: Directive (EU) 2018/851, in its Article 1(10) [Page 126], replaces Article 9 of the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC (WFD) . The provisions relevant for this notification regard:

- Article 9(1)(i) of the WFD, which became applicable on 5 January 2021 and mandates EU Member States to take measures to: ".. ensure that any supplier of an article as defined in point 33 of Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council [REACH] provides the information pursuant to Article 33(1) of that Regulation to the European Chemicals Agency as from 5 January 2021"

- Article 9 (2) of the WFD, which provides that "the European Chemicals Agency shall establish a database for the data to be submitted to it pursuant to point (i) of paragraph 1 by 5 January 2020 and maintain it. The European Chemicals Agency shall provide access to that database to waste treatment operators. It shall also provide access to that database to consumers upon request."

Draft Commission Delegated Regulation amending, for the purpose of its adaptation to technical progress, Annexes I, II, III and IV to Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down rules on the making available on the market of EU fertilising products: hile preparing the transition to the new harmonisation rules, both EU Member States and interested stakeholders informed the Commission on the need to adapt some technical provisions in its annexes. The most important amendments in the notified draft concern:
• the use of natural, biodegradable or soluble polymers as component materials in EU fertilising products;
• the use of animal-by products as input materials for compost and digestate;
• requirements for fertilising products containing component materials with substances exceeding the maximum residues limits for food and feed.

Draft Commission Delegated Regulation supplementing Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council with rules on the information to be sent by third countries and by control authorities and control bodies for the purpose of supervision of their recognition under Article 33(2) and (3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 for imported organic products and the measures to be taken in the exercise of that supervision: This draft Commission Delegated Regulation lays down provisions to ensure the appropriate supervision of third countries or the control authorities and control bodies recognised for the purposes of equivalence under Articles 33(2) and 33(3) respectively of Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 for the transition period until 31 December 2026 for the recognition of third countries and until 31 December 2024 for the recognition of control authorities and control bodies.

Draft Commission Implementing Regulation approving alkyl (C12-16) dimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride as an active substance for use in biocidal products of product-types 3 and 4: This draft Commission Implementing Regulation approves alkyl (C12-16) dimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride as an active substance for use in biocidal products of product-types 3 and 4.

Draft Commission Implementing Regulation approving didecyldimethyl ammonium chloride as an active substance for use in biocidal products of product-types 3 and 4: This draft Commission Implementing Regulation approves didecyldimethyl ammonium chloride as an active substance for use in biocidal products of product-types 3 and 4.

Draft Commission Implementing Regulation concerning the non-renewal of approval of the active substance famoxadone, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market, and amending Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011: This draft Commission Implementing Regulation provides that the approval of the active substance famoxadone is not renewed in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009. EU Member States shall withdraw authorisations for plant protection products containing famoxadone as an active substance. The non-renewal of approval is based on the first evaluation of the substance for use as a pesticide active substance in the EU under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009. The substance was formerly assessed and approved under Directive 91/414/ EEC. (...)
In order for an active substance to be approved in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 (concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market), it must be demonstrated that the substance is not harmful to human health, animal health or the environment. (...) hese are detailed in the conclusion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and reported hereafter:
• the estimated worker exposure levels during crop hand-harvesting exceed the AOEL (112 % of the AOEL) even when the use of PPE (trousers, long-sleeved shirt and gloves) is considered;
• the high long-term risk for mammals;
• the high risk for aquatic organisms.
(...)