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Detailed Description of the Provisions of Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2612
Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2612 amends Annexes II, III, and IV to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 concerning maximum residue levels (MRLs) for certain pesticides in or on food and feed of plant and animal origin. The amendments specifically address the substances chitosan, clopyralid, difenoconazole, fat distillation residues, flonicamid, hydrolysed proteins, and lavandulyl senecioate.
1. Amendments to Annex II: Flonicamid
The Regulation replaces the existing entries for flonicamid in Annex II with updated MRLs for various products. Flonicamid is a pesticide whose residue levels are now redefined for different categories of food commodities. The MRLs are expressed as the sum of flonicamid, TFNA, and TFNG, expressed as flonicamid.
Key MRLs for Flonicamid:
- Fruits:
- Citrus fruits: 0.15 mg/kg
- Pome fruits (e.g., apples, pears): 0.3 mg/kg
- Stone fruits:
- Apricots: 0.3 mg/kg
- Cherries (sweet): 0.4 mg/kg
- Peaches: 0.4 mg/kg
- Plums: 0.3 mg/kg
- Berries and small fruits:
- Strawberries: 0.7 mg/kg
- Cane fruits (blackberries, raspberries): 1 mg/kg
- Other small fruits (blueberries, currants): 0.8 mg/kg
- Vegetables:
- Root and tuber vegetables:
- Potatoes: 0.2 mg/kg
- Carrots, beetroots, parsnips, etc.: 0.3 mg/kg
- Bulb vegetables (onions, garlic): 0.03 mg/kg (limit of determination)
- Fruiting vegetables:
- Tomatoes, aubergines: 0.5 mg/kg
- Sweet peppers: 0.3 mg/kg
- Cucurbits with edible peel (cucumbers, courgettes): 0.5 mg/kg
- Cucurbits with inedible peel (melons, watermelons): 0.4 mg/kg
- Brassica vegetables:
- Head cabbages: 0.5 mg/kg
- Brussels sprouts: 0.6 mg/kg
- Leaf vegetables:
- Lettuces and salad plants: 0.6 mg/kg
- Spinaches and similar leaves: 0.6 mg/kg
- Legume vegetables:
- Beans (with pods): 1.5 mg/kg
- Beans (without pods): 0.7 mg/kg
- Stem vegetables:
- Cardoons, celeries, Florence fennels, rhubarbs: 0.3 mg/kg
- Root and tuber vegetables:
- Pulses: 0.8 mg/kg
- Cereals:
- Barley, oats: 0.4 mg/kg
- Rye, wheat: 2 mg/kg
- Products of Animal Origin:
- Swine, bovine, poultry muscle: 0.15 mg/kg
- Liver and kidney of terrestrial animals: 0.2 mg/kg
- Milk (cattle, sheep, goat, horse): 0.15 mg/kg
- Birds eggs: 0.15 mg/kg
- Honey and other apiculture products: 0.05 mg/kg (limit of determination)
For some commodities, the MRL is set at the limit of analytical determination (e.g., 0.03 mg/kg or 0.05 mg/kg), indicating the lowest level that can be accurately measured.
2. Amendments to Annex III, Part A: Clopyralid and Difenoconazole
a. Clopyralid
New MRLs for clopyralid are established for various commodities:
- Fruits: Generally set at 0.5 mg/kg
- Vegetables:
- Root and tuber vegetables: 0.5 mg/kg to 1.5 mg/kg
- Bulb vegetables: 0.5 mg/kg to 0.7 mg/kg
- Brassica vegetables: Up to 3 mg/kg for head cabbages
- Leaf vegetables and herbs: Up to 3 mg/kg for certain herbs
- Oilseeds: Up to 20 mg/kg for linseeds
- Cereals: MRLs range from 2 mg/kg to 5 mg/kg
- Sugar Plants: Up to 1 mg/kg for sugar beet roots
- Products of Animal Origin:
- Muscle meat: 0.05 mg/kg to 0.08 mg/kg
- Fat, liver, kidney: Up to 2 mg/kg for sheep kidney
- Milk: 0.05 mg/kg (limit of determination)
- Birds eggs: 0.05 mg/kg (limit of determination)
- Honey and other apiculture products: 0.15 mg/kg
b. Difenoconazole
The MRLs for difenoconazole are updated for numerous commodities:
- Fruits:
- Citrus fruits: 0.6 mg/kg
- Pome fruits: 0.8 mg/kg
- Stone fruits (apricots, cherries, peaches, plums): Ranging from 0.3 mg/kg to 0.7 mg/kg
- Grapes: 3 mg/kg
- Berries: Up to 4 mg/kg for blueberries
- Vegetables:
- Root and tuber vegetables: Up to 2 mg/kg for celeriac
- Bulb vegetables: Up to 9 mg/kg for spring onions
- Fruiting vegetables: Up to 2 mg/kg for tomatoes
- Brassica vegetables: Up to 1 mg/kg for broccoli
- Leaf vegetables and herbs: Up to 10 mg/kg for certain herbs
- Pulses: MRLs ranging from 0.06 mg/kg to 0.15 mg/kg
- Cereals:
- Rice: 3 mg/kg
- Wheat, rye: 0.3 mg/kg
- Spices: Up to 3 mg/kg for root and rhizome spices
- Sugar Plants: Up to 0.6 mg/kg for chicory roots
- Products of Animal Origin:
- Muscle meat: 0.05 mg/kg to 0.1 mg/kg
- Liver and kidney: 0.2 mg/kg
- Milk: 0.005 mg/kg (limit of determination)
- Birds eggs: 0.05 mg/kg (limit of determination)
- Honey and other apiculture products: 0.05 mg/kg (limit of determination)
These MRL adjustments reflect changes to permissible residue levels for these pesticides in a variety of food products.
3. Amendments to Annex IV: Inclusion of Substances Exempted from MRLs
The following substances are added to Annex IV, which lists substances for which no MRLs are required due to their safety profile:
- Chitosan: A natural polysaccharide derived from chitin, commonly used as a biopesticide.
- Hydrolysed Proteins: Proteins broken down into peptides and amino acids, used in pest management.
- Fat Distillation Residues: By-products from the distillation of fats, utilized in agriculture.
- Lavandulyl Senecioate: A natural compound used as a low-risk active substance in plant protection.
The inclusion of these substances in Annex IV means that they are exempted from the requirement of setting specific MRLs, as their use is not expected to pose a risk to consumers through residue presence in food or feed commodities.
4. Entry into Force
The 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.
5. Compliance
Food and feed business operators must comply with the updated MRLs as specified in this Regulation to ensure that products placed on the market meet the legal safety standards regarding pesticide residues.
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