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Summary of Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2612 of 7 October 2024

The European Commission has issued Regulation (EU) 2024/2612, which amends Annexes II, III, and IV of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 concerning maximum residue levels (MRLs) for specific substances in or on certain food products. The substances affected by these amendments are:

• Chitosan
• Clopyralid
• Difenoconazole
• Fat distillation residues
• Flonicamid
• Hydrolysed proteins
• Lavandulyl senecioate

Updates to Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs)

Flonicamid

MRLs for flonicamid have been updated in Annex II. The adjustments reflect new data and applications concerning its use on various crops. The updated MRLs apply to the following products:

• Potatoes
• Lettuces and salad plants
• Spinaches and similar leaves
• Beans (without pods)
• Cardoons
• Celeries
• Florence fennels
• Rhubarbs

Clopyralid

MRLs for clopyralid have been modified in Part A of Annex III. The changes pertain to honey and other apiculture products, reflecting new applications and assessments of consumer safety.

Difenoconazole

MRLs for difenoconazole have been updated in Part A of Annex III, specifically for rye and wheat. The new MRL is set at 0.1 mg/kg for both grains, based on evaluations by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Additions to Annex IV

The following substances have been added to Annex IV of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005. This means they are exempt from MRL requirements because their use is not expected to result in harmful residues:

• Chitosan
• Fat distillation residues
• Hydrolysed proteins
• Lavandulyl senecioate

Regulation Details

The regulation specifies that for substances like chitosan, fat distillation residues, hydrolysed proteins, and lavandulyl senecioate, no specific MRLs were previously set, and they were not included in Annex IV. Given that these substances are not expected to leave residues that pose a consumer risk, they have now been included in Annex IV, exempting them from MRL requirements.

Implementation

This regulation enters into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It is binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Reference Amendments

The annexes of the regulation provide detailed tables of the updated MRLs for the substances in question. These tables replace previous entries in Annexes II and III of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 and list the specific products and their corresponding MRLs.

Key Points

• The updates are based on applications submitted under Article 6(1) of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, which were evaluated by Member States and assessed by the EFSA.
• The EFSA concluded that the new MRLs are acceptable concerning consumer safety, considering both chronic and acute exposure assessments.
• For difenoconazole, despite some uncertainties regarding isomerism, the MRLs were updated as the crops in question are minor contributors to overall exposure.
• The inclusion of certain substances in Annex IV simplifies regulatory requirements for those substances, recognizing their low risk of hazardous residues.

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