Foodlaw-Reading
Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
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Council Minutes, 3 December 2015
The following is an extract from minutes of the Justice and Home Affairs Council Meeting:
The Council decided not to oppose the adoption of a Commission regulation amending regulation 396/20051 as regards maximum residue levels for boscalid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, folpet and tolclofos-methyl in or on certain products (amendment of annexes II and III) (13706/15).
Regulation 396/2005 establishes the maximum quantities of pesticide residues permitted in products of animal or vegetable origin intended for human or animal consumption. These maximum residue levels (MRLs) include, on the one hand, MRLs which are specific to particular foodstuffs intended for human or animal consumption and, on the other, a general limit which applies where no specific MRL has been set. MRL applications are communicated to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which issue 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.
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 it, unless the European Parliament objects.
