On October 4, 2024, the Ninth Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) made an important judgment on a high-profile pesticide renewal case, requiring a reevaluation of the application for the renewal of mancozeb. The court found that the Commission had made procedural errors in its decision-making process and relied too heavily on outdated scientific evidence.

It is reported that the European Commission previously issued regulations in 2020, refusing to renew the approval of mancozeb as an important fungicide. The decision was largely based on the 2018 assessment opinion of the European Chemicals Agency's Risk Assessment Committee, which classified it as a Group 1B reproductive toxic substance. However, product holders UPL and Indofil Industries appealed, challenging the timeliness of the basis for the decision.

The Court found that in making its decision, the Commission did not fully take into account the latest scientific assessment data provided by Greece, the new rapporteur's member state, in 2020. This procedural oversight may lead to bias in risk assessment results. At the same time, the court also pointed out that the ordinary court had denied the applicant the opportunity to provide new scientific evidence, which violated procedural justice.

At present, the case has been remanded to the ordinary court for retrial. This decision will have a profound impact on the EU pesticide management system, highlighting the importance of using the latest scientific evidence in regulatory decisions and providing an important reference for similar cases. The final result of this case will directly affect the fate of mancozeb in the EU market, and will also provide new ideas for the improvement of the EU pesticide listing procedure.