At the request of the European Commission, the European Food Safety Authority has published a protocol for a structured approach to assessing emergency authorisation applications for insecticidal and acaricidal products.
The aim is to harmonise the evaluation process among Member States pending the publication of the Guidance on Emergency Authorisations according to Article 53 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 (SANCO/10087/2013 rev. 1), which is still under revision.
The protocol defines the criteria for assessing the availability and appropriateness of alternative control methods, both chemical and non‑chemical. Central to the document is also its adaptability to different types of emergency situations, achieved through the definition of specific requirements depending on the type of adversity and/or the hazard/risk assessment and/or the approval status of active substances and products to be used in managing phytosanitary emergencies.