Changes to EU and GB pesticide maximum residue levels
Following the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union (EU), COLEACP’s monitoring of pesticide regulations now covers MRL changes in both the EU and Great Britan (GB), enabling us to keep COLEACP members and partner-beneficiaries up-to-date.
Note that EU MRLs still apply in Northern Ireland (GB covers only England, Scotland and Wales).
During the period April-June 2022, notifications of MRL changes were issued for the following:
- flutianil (EU)
- sulfoxaflor (GB)
- cyantraniliprole (GB)
- and cinmethylin (GB)
The EU and GB have also recently notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of additional proposed changes involving a further 20 substances including 12 that are key in ACP horticulture (chlorothalonil, cyfluthrin, ethoprophos, fenamidone, propiconazole, pymetrozine, benalaxyl, epoxiconazole, fenamiphos, clothianidin, thiamethoxam and abamectin). Note that comments and concerns can be submitted to the WTO via the national contact points.
How will ACP producers/exporters be affected?
Changes to EU/GB Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) also apply to products that are exported to the EU/GB. Growers producing for export may need to adapt their practices to meet the new MRL or, if this is not possible, stop using these products and look for an alternative method of pest management.
What should ACP producers/exporters do now?
For each use of the plant protection products (PPPs) involved, the Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in place will need to be checked to ensure compliance with the new MRLs. This is essential to avoid interception and destruction of exported produce at the EU/GB borders.
If you use these PPPs, it is important to liaise with your producer /exporter associations and national authorities to check whether the GAPs you currently apply are still appropriate, and enable you to meet the new MRLs. In most cases, where the MRL is lowered, adaptations to the GAP will be needed (dose rate, number of applications, application method or pre-harvest interval).
If you have any major concerns about these changes, and fear that you will be left without an effective and locally available alternative, please contact COLEACP at: network@coleacp.org.
In this Flash Info, ‘key active substances’ refers to those used/registered in one or more ACP country on horticultural crops that are frequently exported regionally or internationally. While COLEACP makes every effort to provide comprehensive information about relevant regulatory changes, it is possible that some PPPs or crops relevant to you are not included in our list of key substances/crops. We recommend therefore that you check the final section of this FlashInfo, which details all the changes in 2022, to make sure that you are aware of any other changes that could affect you.
Changes to EU MRLs
FlutianilThe European Commission (EC) recently issued a notification of changes to flutianil MRLs within the EU. Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/566 was applied on 28 April 2022 and includes changes to MRLs on a number of fruit and vegetable crops(Table 1).
Table 1. EU MRL changes for flutianil on fruit and vegetables.