The Hindu Business Line : Pesticide residue: EU sets new maximum levels

New directive
Authorisation of protection products for use on specific crops is the responsibility of member states.
They are now expected to adopt and publish by June 14, 2008 necessary laws, regulations.

Mohan Padmanabhan

Kolkata, Jan. 10 The European Commission (EC) has, through a new directive addressed to the member states of the Community, amended certain annexes to earlier Council Directives with regard to maximum permissible levels for pesticide residues in processed agri crops, cereals, fruit and vegetables, and tea among others.

The Indian embassy in Brussels has already despatched a detailed note to all Export Promotion Councils in India on the new Commission directive, which may have a direct bearing on export of agri-products from India to EU countries.

It is learnt that through WTO, the Community’s trading partners have been consulted on the new maximum residue levels (MRLs) and their comments on the pesticide levels have been taken into account.

The measures provided for in the new directive are said to be in accordance with the opinion of the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health.

Making rules

Member states of the EU are now expected to adopt and publish by June 14, 2008, at the latest, the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the new directive, except for deltamethrin and atrazine, and also imazalil. MRLs, according to EC, reflect the use of minimum quantities of pesticides to achieve effective protection of plants, applied in such a manner that the residue amount was the smallest practicable, and also toxicologically acceptable, particularly in terms of estimated dietary intake.

According to the new EC directive, authorisations of plant protection products for use on specific crops were the responsibility of the EU member states. It is clarified that such authorisations have to be based on the evaluation of effects on humans and animal health, and influence on the environment.

Elements to be taken into account in such evaluations include “operator and bystander exposure”, and “impact on the terrestrial, aquatic and aerial environment as well as impact on humans and animals through consumption of residues on treated crops”.

The pesticides list includes chemicals like acetamiprid, atrazine, imazalil, indoxacarb, pendimethalin, pymetrozine, pyraclostrobin, thiacloprid and trifloxystrobin.

It is learnt that the lifetime exposure of consumers to the pesticides cited above via food products that may contain residues has been assessed and evaluated in accordance with the procedures and practices within the Community, taking into account guidelines published by WHO. The EC has suggested that based on the assessments and evaluations, the MRLs for the listed pesticides should be set so as to ensure that the acceptable daily intake is not exceeded.

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