Foodlaw-Reading

Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK

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Food Law News - EU - 2015

Council Press Release, 16 March 2015

CONTAMINANTS - Pesticides - maximum residue levels: Council discussions

The following is an extract from the minutes of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council Meeting held on the 16th March 2015:

The Council decided not to oppose the adoption of a regulation amending annexes II, III and V to regulation 396/2005 as regards maximum residue levels (MRLs) for 2-naphthyloxyacetic acid, acetochlor, chloropicrin, diflufenican, flurprimidol, flutolanil and spinosad in or on certain products (5686/15).

Regulation 396/2005 establishes the maximum quantities of pesticide residues or 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 the EFSA's opinion, the Commission proposes a regulation to establish a new MRL or to amend or remove an existing MRL and modify the annexes to regulation 396/2005 accordingly.

The Commission regulation is subject to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny. This means that now that the Council has given its consent, the Commission may adopt the regulation, unless the European Parliament objects.


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