(1)Paragraph 1 of Article 1 is amended as follows:
(a)the first subparagraph is replaced by the following:‘Without prejudice to the fourth subparagraph, an application for the renewal of an approval of an active substance shall be submitted by a producer of the active substance to the rapporteur Member State, as set out in the second column of the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 686/2012note and to the co-rapporteur Member State as set out in the third column of that Annex, or to each of the Member States in a group of Member States acting jointly as rapporteur Member State as set out in the fourth column of that Annex, no later than three years before the expiry of the approval.
(b)the following fourth, fifth and sixth subparagraphs are added:‘Where a group of Member States jointly assumes the role of the rapporteur Member State as set out in the fourth column of the Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 686/2012, no co-rapporteur Member State shall be appointed. In this case, all references to “the rapporteur Member State” in this Regulation shall be deemed to be references to “the group of Member States acting jointly as rapporteur Member State”.Prior to the expiry of the deadline for submission of the application, the Member States acting jointly as rapporteur Member State shall agree on the repartition of all tasks and workload.Member States forming part of the group of Member States acting jointly as rapporteur Member State shall endeavour to reach consensus during the evaluation.’;