REGAFFAIRS AI
ANSWERS · 4 OCT 2026

What is the EU approval status of flufenacet under Regulation (EC) 1107/2009: was it renewed, what are the dates for withdrawing authorisations and the grace periods for sale and use of existing stocks, and what does this mean for products authorised in Germany and France?

Flufenacet was not renewed. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/910 of 20 May 2025 refused renewal, and the EU Pesticides Database shows it as "Not approved", with approval running from 1 January 2004 to 10 June 2025. Member States had to withdraw product authorisations by 10 December 2025, and any grace period for sale and use of existing stocks must end by 10 December 2026 [1]. As of today, sale of existing stocks has already ended in both Germany and France. Use of stocks is allowed only until 10 December 2026 at the latest, about two months away.

Approach: I checked the EU Pesticides Database, the BVL product register and its revocation list for Germany, and the ANSES E-Phy catalogue and OFB C3PO database for France. I read the non-renewal Regulation and the related court notice on EUR-Lex through search snippets, not the full texts.

EU position

  • Why it was refused (EUR-Lex text, via search snippet): EFSA concluded that flufenacet is an endocrine disruptor (thyroid) for humans and non-target organisms, and that negligible exposure was not shown. EFSA also flagged that its metabolite trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) could contaminate groundwater well above the 0.1 µg/l limit. Under Article 46 of Regulation 1107/2009, any grace period may not exceed 18 months from entry into force.
  • Other database details: the rapporteur was Poland, with France as co-rapporteur. Flufenacet was a candidate for substitution ("two PBT criteria"). The listed CLP classification is Acute Tox. 4 H302, Skin Sens. 1 H317, STOT RE 2 H373, and Aquatic Acute/Chronic 1 H400/H410 [1].
  • Pending court case: PAN Europe and Deutsche Umwelthilfe filed Case T-133/26 on 23 February 2026. It challenges the Commission's rejection on 18 December 2025 of their internal-review request. The challenge targets only the transitional measures and grace periods (Articles 4 and 5 of 2025/910), not the refusal itself (EUR-Lex notice, via search snippet).

Germany (BVL)

No current authorisation in the BVL register contains flufenacet. The revocation list holds 34 flufenacet products, in five groups:

Revoked onProductsSale untilUse until
5–9 Jun 2025 (13)Cadou SC, BAKATA, Rodrigo, Vulcanus, Broadcast, NACETO, CARPATUS SC, Aspect, SUNFIRE, Bandur Forte, Malibu, Pontos, Quirinus5–9 Dec 20255–9 Dec 2026
30 Nov 2025 (5)FLUENT 500 SC, FLEET, ARNOLD, ARESIN NEO, Vulcanus Top30 May 202610 Dec 2026
10 Dec 2025 (13)FENCE, DIPLOMAT, PALISADE, FRANZI, STEEPLE, GENOLANE Defense 12, Herold SC, Mertil, Reliance, BATTLE DELTA, Chrome, Elipris, ACL+DFF+FFA SC 57010 Jun 202610 Dec 2026
24 May 2025 (1)Artist (with metribuzin)24 Nov 202524 Nov 2025
16 Jun 2025 (2)Tactic, Merkurnone recordednone recorded

Examples: FENCE [2], FLUENT 500 SC [3], Cadou SC [4], Artist [5], Tactic [6].

  • For products revoked early in June 2025, use rights end a few days before the EU cap of 10 December 2026, on the dates in the table.
  • Parallel-trade permits for flufenacet products such as Cadou, FENCE and Herold SC are in the BVL's expired list [7][8].

France (ANSES E-Phy)

All 31 flufenacet products in E-Phy are marked "RETIRE" (withdrawn). The OFB C3PO database records "Autorisation en France : Non" [9].

  • Withdrawn 10 Dec 2025, sale until 10 Jun 2026, use until 10 Dec 2026 (21 products): ESSYNA, KORSAIRE PLUS, ENDERIX, SUNFIRE, GLOSSET 600 SC, FENCE, FOSBURI, BATTLE DELTA, VOLTAGE SC, COUGAR DUO, COLISEUM DUO, CISO, CARPATUS SC, BACARA DUO, ANKORA, QUIRINUS, PONTOS, TROOPER, MERKUR, LIBERATOR TRIO, MATENO. Examples: [10][11][12]
  • Withdrawn 24 May 2025, sale until 31 May 2025, use until 24 Nov 2025 (4 metribuzin mixtures): BASTILLE, BAPTISTE, ALMERIA PLUS, XINIA [13][14].
  • Withdrawn earlier for other reasons (6 products, 2010–2020): CADOU, TERANO, DIPLOME, ARENT, ARENT J, BOREAL [15][16].

What this means in practice

  • New sales: in both countries none are now allowed. Sale periods ended by 10 June 2026 at the latest (30 May 2026 for the German group revoked on 30 November).
  • Use of stocks: allowed only until each product's use-up date, at most 10 December 2026. After that, remaining stock cannot be used and has to be disposed of.
  • Court case: T-133/26 contests only the transitional periods. A ruling against the Commission could only affect the grace periods; it would not restore approval.
  • Data not updated: the OFB snapshot (May 2026) still lists flufenacet authorisations in MT, PL, PT and RO, and the EU database still lists "Authorised: PT" [1]. These entries have not caught up with the withdrawal deadline. They do not mean the products are still lawfully on the market there.

Sources:

SOURCES · 16

  1. [1]Flufenacet (formerly fluthiamide) (AS_ID 1313)EU
  2. [2]FENCE · p.1BVL
  3. [3]FLUENT 500 SC · p.1BVL
  4. [4]Cadou SC · p.1BVL
  5. [5]Artist · p.1BVL
  6. [6]Tactic · p.1BVL
  7. [7]FENCE · p.1BVL
  8. [8]Herold SC · p.1BVL
  9. [9]flufenacetOFB
  10. [10]ESSYNAANSES
  11. [11]FENCEANSES
  12. [12]MATENOANSES
  13. [13]BASTILLEANSES
  14. [14]XINIAANSES
  15. [15]CADOUANSES
  16. [16]BOREALANSES
Continue this research.
Ask a follow-up; this answer comes along as context.
More published answers →