Foodlaw-Reading Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
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Food Law News - EU - 2017

Council Minutes, 20 November 2017

PESTICIDES – Council Discussions: Pesticides - maximum residue levels

The following is an extract from the minutes of the General Affairs Council Meeting on the 20 November:

The Council decided not to oppose the adoption of two Commission regulations amending Annex II and III to regulation (EC) 396/2005 as regards the maximum residue levels of pesticides ('MRLs') for:

• mercury compounds in or on certain products (13403/17 + 13403/17 ADD 1 and 13403/17 ADD 2), and
• 2-phenylphenol, bensulfuron-methyl, dimethachlor and lufenuron in or on certain products (13637/17 + 13637/17 ADD 1 and 13637/17 ADD 2).

Regulation 396/2005 establishes the MRLs permitted in products of animal or vegetable origin intended for human or animal consumption. These MRLs include, on the one hand, levels which are specific to particular foodstuffs intended for human or animal consumption and, on the other, a general limit which applies where no specific level has been set. MRL applications are communicated to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which issues a scientific opinion on each intended new MRL. Based on EFSA's opinion, the Commission proposes a regulation to establish a new MRL or to amend or remove an existing MRL and modifying the annexes of regulation 396/2005 accordingly.