The UK has issued a TBT notification (G/TBT/N/GBR/121) through the WTO, initiating the approval revocation process for the pesticide active ingredient Mepanipyrim in Great Britain (GB) in accordance with Regulation No. 1107/2009. The deadline for soliciting public opinions is July 10, 2026. It is planned to officially adopt the resolution on July 31, 2026, and the approval to revoke the decision will take effect 6 months from the date of adoption. At that time, the substance and all plant protection products containing its ingredients will not be available for sale on the GB market.

    On May 20, 2024, the European Commission decided not to renew its approval in the European Union and Northern Ireland through Regulation (EU) 2024/1217. The EU assessment points out several serious concerns, mainly including:
    Mepanipyrim meets the endocrine disruptor (ED) criteria for estrogen, androgen, and steroidogenesis (EAS) pathways in humans and wild mammals (as non target organisms);

    Cannot prove that human exposure is negligible;

    There is also a high long-term risk to wild mammals through dietary exposure.

    Although this decision has no direct legal effect on GB, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK believes that the above conclusion constitutes "new knowledge" and suggests that Mepanipyrim may no longer meet the approval standards under GB regulations. Therefore, an independent review will be launched in May 2025.

    HSE independently and objectively reviewed all scientific evidence supporting the EU decision, with a particular focus on the human endocrine disruption characteristics of the EAS pathway as specified in Annex II, points 3.6.5 and 3.8.2 of the regulation. The HSE conclusion is that Mepanipyrim does not meet the approval criteria for human endocrine disruption in Article 4 and the GB approval should be revoked.

    Given this decisive conclusion, HSE believes that there is no need for a detailed assessment of other risk areas (such as high long-term risks to wild mammals), and it is not advisable to postpone the GB decision due to waiting for subsequent assessments.

    According to Articles 21 (5) (b) and 21 (7) of Assisted Regulation No. 1107/2009, HSE has decided to revoke the approval of Mepanipyrim in GB. This decision only involves the market release of the substance and plant protection products containing its components, and does not involve other uses.