19/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - The Commission has agreed to include four new chemical products in Annex III of the Convention of Rotterdam. In a draft decision the Commission has just submitted to the Council of the EU, it advocates the inclusion of the following products at the fifth conference of parties to the Convention (Geneva, 20-24 June 2011): chrysotile asbestos, endosulfan, alachlore and aldicarb, as sought by the Convention's chemical product examination committee. These four chemical products are already subject to similar restrictions in the EU as those advocated by this committee. The Convention of Rotterdam entered into force on the 24th of February 2004 and introduced a procedure for “Prior Informed Consent”, which applies to certain chemical products and dangerous pesticides traded internationally. In addition to the Union, 26 of its member states are signatories to the Convention. (O.L./transl.fl)