. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/CAN/168
9 May 2003
(03-2474)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English/
French
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   CANADA
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:  Pest Management Regulatory Agency, Health Canada
3. Products covered (provide tariff item num ber(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where
applicable):  Difenoconazole  (ICS:  65.100.30, 67.040)
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Not
stated
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Proposed Amendment to
the Food and Drug Regulations (1344 — Difenoconazole) (available in English and
French, pages 1320-1323)
6. Description of content:  Difenoconazole is registered under the Pest Control Products Act
as a fungicide for the control of seed-borne Septoria, seedling blight (caused by seed- and
soil-borne Fusarium), general seed rots (caused by Penicillium and Aspergillus), coveredsmut, false loose smut, and Pythium damping-of f, and for suppression of common root rot
(Cochliobolus  spp.), Fusarium crown rot, Fusarium foot rot, and take-all on wheat as a seed
treatment. A maximum residue limit (MRL) has been established under the Food and
Drugs Act  for residues of difenoconazole resulting from this use at 0.1 parts per million
(p.p.m.) in wheat.  MRLs have also been es tablished at 0.05 p.p.m. in eggs and meat and
meat by-products of cattle, goats, hogs, poultry and sheep, and at 0.01 p.p.m. in milk to
cover residues in food derived from animals fed with crops treated with difenoconazole.By virtue of subsection B.15.002(1) of the Food and Drug Regulations , the MRL for other
foods is 0.1 p.p.m.
The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada has recently
approved an application to amend the registration of difenoconazole in order to allow itsuse for the control of seed-borne Septoria, seedling blight, general seed rots, covered smut,
false loose smut, and Pythium damping-off,  and for suppression of common root rot,
Fusarium crown rot, Fusarium foot rot, and take-all on barley, rapeseed (canola) and
mustard as a seed treatment.  This propose d regulatory amendment would establish MRLs
for residues of difenoconazole resulting from this use in barley, mustard seed and rapeseed(canola) in order to permit the sale of food containing these residues.
After the review of all available data, the PMRA has determined that MRLs for
difenoconazole of 0.05 p.p.m. in mustard seed , 0.03 p.p.m. in rapeseed (canola) and 0.01
p.p.m. in barley would not pose an unacceptable health risk to the public.  This proposedregulatory amendment would also amend the chemical name of difenoconazole in order to
comply with international nomenclature conventions.G/SPS/N/CAN/168
Page 2
7. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,  [   ] protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [ X ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Canada Gazette,
Part I, 3 May 2003 (Available in English and French)
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Normally within 5 to 8 months of publication in the Canada
Gazette, Part I.
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  On the date the measure is adopted.
12. Final date for comments:  17 July 2003
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority, [ X ] National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
The electronic version of the regulatory text can be downloaded at:
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2003/20030503/pdf/g1-13718.pdf