The new set of rules harmonise the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) across Member States, and will ensure food safety for all consumers and make trade and import easier. Before this regulation came into force, there was a high level of confusion across the Union, as different MRLs could apply for the same pesticide in different Member States. Thanks to a considerable effort by the Commission, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and Member States, this issue should now be resolved.
Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 covers approximately 1100 pesticides currently or formerly used in agriculture in or outside of the EU. The regulation aims to ensure that residues found in food remain as low as possible to guarantee consumer safety. Consumers are exposed to pesticides when small quantities remain in harvested crops as residues. The new regulation also applies to processed products, with an adjustment being made to take into account dilution or concentration during processing.
With reference to the new regulation, EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou (DG SANCO) said that it marked a “new milestone in our effort to ensure that food in Europe is safe.” She went on to say that the new MRLs will help to ensure that pesticides have no harmful effect on European citizens.
According to the Commission, all consumer groups have been taken into consideration, including groups with specific needs, such as babies, children and vegetarians. EFSA will be responsible for the safety assessments, which will be based on the properties of the pesticide, the maximum levels expected on food and on the different diets of European consumers.
However, not all parties are pleased with the new standards set by the Commission. A press release on the Pesticide Action Network Europe website suggested that the MRLs violate food safety, and that the new legislation will lead to a dramatic rise in the levels of pesticide residues found in food products. According to PAN-Europe, in many cases, the Commission identified the Member State with the worst safety limit and sought to adopt this at a European level. They report that legal must now be taken in order to "force the Commission to think again."
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