FSA Letter (OCR 087), 19 April 2011

OFFICIAL CONTROL - Amendment to Regulation (EC) No. 669/2009 for July 2011

I am writing to inform you that the Commission has agreed the latest amendment to Regulation (EC) No. 669/2009 at the Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH) meeting on 5 April. It is expected to come into force on 1 July 2011.

The finalised amendment [see Proposed Amendment], is currently subject to scrutiny under European Parliamentary procedures. With one exception, the amendment for 1 July 2011 is expected to make the changes described in my letter of 10 March 2011 (DPE/2011/005). The following changes are still expected to the controls in relation to Annex I of Regulation (EC) No. 187/2011 (which itself applied from 1 April 2011):

• The removal of pears from Turkey for amitraz (pesticide);
• The removal of courgettes from Turkey for pesticide residues;
• The addition of fresh chilli peppers from Thailand for pesticide residues at a frequency of 10%;

However, the frequency of checks for groundnuts from India is not expected to change to 50% as previously proposed as the main exporting period for birdfeed will have ended by the time the amendment takes effect. The checks would remain at 20% until a further assessment has happened and any changes would be made before the main exporting period, November – April.

Please note that the draft amendment Regulation states at Article 2 that the removal from Annex I of pears from Turkey and courgettes from Turkey will apply from entry into force of the Regulation, on the third day after the Regulation is published in the Official Journal.