Council Press Release, 19 December 2008

RESIDUES – Council reaches Common Position on residue limits in foods of animal origin

The following is an extract from the minutes of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council Meeting:

The Council adopted its common position on the proposal for a Regulation laying down Community procedures for the establishment of residue limits of pharmacologically active substances in foodstuffs of animal origin, and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2377/90 ( 15079/08 + 15079/2/08 REV 2 ).

The provisions envisaged aim to guarantee a high level of protection of public health and to increase the availability of veterinary medicinal products. The main changes planned are as follows:

• an obligation to consider possibilities of extrapolation when scientific evaluation is being carried out to establish a residue limit;
• an obligation for the Community to take over residue limits adopted at Codex Alimentarius level if it did not table any objections when they were adopted;
• the creation of a legal framework for the establishment of residue limits for pharmacologically active substances which are not a priori intended to be used in veterinary medicinal products in the Community;
• the establishment of reference values when necessary for the purposes of control in cases where there is no residue limit.

A further aim of the new Regulation is to simplify current legislation and to improve its legibility.