Commission Directive 2006/62/ECShow full title

Commission Directive 2006/62/EC

of 12 July 2006

amending the Annexes to Council Directives 76/895/EEC, 86/362/EEC, 86/363/EEC and 90/642/EEC as regards maximum residue levels for desmedipham, phenmedipham and chlorfenvinphos

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 76/895/EEC of 23 November 1976 relating to the fixing of maximum levels for pesticide residues in and on fruit and vegetables(1), and in particular Article 5 thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 86/362/EEC of 24 July 1986 on the fixing of maximum levels for pesticide residues in and on cereals(2), and in particular Article 10 thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 86/363/EEC of 24 July 1986 on the fixing of maximum levels for pesticide residues in and on foodstuffs of animal origin(3), and in particular Article 10 thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 90/642/EEC of 27 November 1990 on the fixing of maximum levels for pesticide residues in and on certain products of plant origin, including fruit and vegetables(4), and in particular Article 7 thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 91/414/EEC of 15 July 1991 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market(5) and in particular Article 4(1)(f) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) The existing active substances desmedipham and phenmedipham have been included in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC by Commission Directive 2004/58/EC(6).

(2) The inclusion in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC of the active substances concerned was based on the assessment of the information submitted concerning their proposed use. Information relating to that use has been submitted by certain Member States in accordance with Article 4(1)(f) of Directive 91/414/EEC. The information available has been reviewed and is sufficient to allow certain maximum residue levels (MRLs) to be fixed.

(3) For chlorfenvinphos it has been decided by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2076/2002(7) not to include that substance in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC. Certain Member States are allowed to maintain certain authorisations for the use of products containing chlorfenvinphos in force until 30 June 2007.

(4) There are already Community MRLs for chlorfenvinphos in Directive 76/895/EEC. They should be taken into consideration when setting the MRLs for chlorfenvinphos in Directive 90/642/EEC.

(5) The Commission review reports which were prepared for the inclusion in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC of the active substances concerned, fixed the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) and if necessary, the Acute Reference Dose (ARfD) for those substances. The exposure of consumers of food products treated with the active substances concerned has been assessed in accordance with Community procedures. Account has also been taken of guidelines published by the World Health Organization(8) and the opinion of the Scientific Committee for Plants(9) on the methodology employed. It is concluded that MRLs proposed will not lead to those ADIs or ARfD being exceeded.

(6) In order to ensure that the consumer is adequately protected from exposure to residues resulting from unauthorised uses of plant protection products, provisional MRLs should be set for the relevant product/pesticide combinations at the lower limit of analytical determination.

(7) The setting at Community level of such provisional MRLs does not prevent the Member States from establishing provisional MRLs for the substances concerned in accordance with Article 4(1)(f) of Directive 91/414/EEC and Annex VI thereto. It is considered that a period of four years is sufficient to permit further uses of the active substance concerned. The provisional MRL should then become definitive.

(8) It is therefore necessary to add all of the MRLs arising from the use of these plant protection products to the Annexes to Directives 86/362/EEC, 86/363/EEC and 90/642/EEC to allow for proper surveillance and control of the prohibition of their uses and to protect the consumer. Where MRLs have not been defined until now, it is appropriate to set them for the first time.

(9) Provisions of Directive 76/895/EEC which set MRLs for chlorfenvinphos should consequently be deleted.

(10) Directives 76/895/EEC, 86/362/EEC, 86/363/EEC and 90/642/EEC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(11) The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

(1)

OJ L 340, 9.12.1976, p. 26. Directive as last amended by Commission Directive 2006/59/EC (OJ L 175, 29.6.2006, p. 61.

(2)

OJ L 221, 7.8.1986, p. 37. Directive as last amended by Commission Directive 2006/59/EC.

(3)

OJ L 221, 7.8.1986, p. 43. Directive as last amended by Commission Directive 2006/59/EC.

(4)

OJ L 350, 14.12.1990, p. 71. Directive as last amended by Commission Directive 2006/59/EC.

(5)

OJ L 230, 19.8.1991, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Commission Directive 2006/45/EC (OJ L 130, 18.5.2006, p. 27).

(6)

OJ L 120, 24.4.2004, p. 26.

(7)

OJ L 319, 23.11.2002, p. 3. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1335/2005 (OJ L 211, 13.8.2005, p. 6).

(8)

Guidelines for predicting dietary intake of pesticide residues (revised), prepared by the GEMS/Food Programme in collaboration with the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues, published by the World Health Organization 1997 (WHO/FSF/FOS/97.7).

(9)

Opinion of the Scientific Committee on Plants regarding questions relating to amending the annexes to Council Directives 86/362/EEC, 86/363/EEC and 90/642/EEC (Opinion expressed by the Scientific Committee on Plants, 14 July 1998) (http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/index_en.html).