Statement on risk mitigation measures on cypermethrin

In August 2018, EFSA published its conclusion on the peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance cypermethrin on the basis of the evaluation of the representative uses of cypermethrin as proposed by the applicant and following the guidance document currently available at EU level. In order to verify the possibility to identify a safe use, at recent meetings of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, exposure reduction measures prepared by the rapporteur Member State (RMS) for cypermethrin (BE) were discussed. In July 2019, the European Commission mandated EFSA to identify conditions of use other than those reported in the original conclusion, which are likely to result in an low risk to aquatic organisms, non-target arthropods and bees, considering the risk assessment performed for the representative uses of cypermethrin. The statement provides the options of exposure reduction and the extent to which a low risk to aquatic organisms, non-target arthropods and bees could be demonstrated. It is confirmed that this required spray drift mitigation measures currently not recommended by the guidance in place for aquatic organisms and non-target arthropods. In addition, exclusion of autumn applications is necessary regarding the risk to aquatic organisms. The in-field exposure to bees is significantly lower when the spray application is made outside of the flowering periods of crops and weeds compared to spray applications during the flowering.