L 341/14 Official Journal of the European Union 22.12.2009 COMMISSION DECISION of 30 November 2009 adopting Community import decisions for certain chemicals pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 689/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and amending Commission Decisions 2000/657 EC, 2001/852/EC, 2003/508/EC, 2004/382/EC and 2005/416/EC (2009/966/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, (4) It is necessary to revise previous import decisions in rela- Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 689/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 concerning the export and import of dangerous chemicals (1), and in particular the second subparagraph of Article 12(1) thereof, After consulting the Committee established by Article 133 of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67[EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC (3), Whereas: (1) Under Regulation (EC) No 689/2008 the Commission is to decide on behalf of the Community whether or not to per- mit the import into the Community of each chemical sub- ject to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure. (2)  The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have been appointed to provide secretariat services for the operation of the PIC procedure established by the Rotterdam Con- vention on the PIC procedure for certain hazardous chemi- cals and pesticides in international trade, approved by the Community by Council Decision 2006/730/EC of 25 Sep- tember 2006 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Community, of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain hazardous chemi- cals and pesticides in international trade (3). (3)  The Commission, acting as common designated authority, is required to forward import decisions on chemicals subject to the PIC procedure to the Secretariat of the Rot- terdam Convention, on behalf of the Community and its Member States. () OJ L 204, 31.7.2008, p. 1. (2) OJ L 396, 30.12.2006, p. 1. () OJ L 299, 28.10.2006, p. 23. tion to the chemicals ethylene oxide, fluoroacetamide, HCH (mixed isomers), lindane, methamidophos, pen- tachlorophenol and its salts and esters, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), polychlorinated terphenyls (PCTs), dust- able powder formulations containing a combination of benomyl, carbofuran and thiram and mercury compounds in order to reflect the enlargement of the Community on 1 January 2007 as well as to take account of regulatory developments in the Community since those decisions were adopted. (5)  The placing on the market and use of ethylene oxide under Directive 98/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 1998 concerning the placing of biocidal products on the market (*) is restricted to certain specific areas pursuant to Commission Regulation (EC) No 1451/2007 (°) on the second phase of the 10-year work programme referred to in Article 16(2) of Directive 98/8/EC. Consequently, imports are only allowed for those specific uses. Member States can decide which of those uses allowed under Directive 98/8/EC they authorise in their territory. (6)  Fluoroacetamide and pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters are not included as active substances in Annex I to Council Directive 91/414/EEC of 15 July 1991 concern- ing the placing of plant protection products on the mar- ket (6) or in Annex [, IA or IB to Directive 98/8/EC, with the effect that those active substances are banned for pes- ticide use. Consequently, it is prohibited to import fluoro- acetamide and pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters for use as pesticides. (7)  Since 1 July 2008 methamidophos is no longer included in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC, with the effect that all authorisations for plant protection products containing methamidophos had to be withdrawn by Member States and that any placing on the market of plant protection products containing methamidophos is prohibited. Fur- thermore, methamidophos has not been identified or noti- fied under the Community review programme for evaluation of existing substances under Directive 98/8/EC and is therefore not allowed to be placed on the market for use as a biocidal product. () OJL 123, 24.4.1998, p. 1. () OJ L 325,11.12.2007, p. 3. () OJ L 230,19.8.1991, p. 1.