Pesticides (Maximum Residue Levels in Crops, Food and Feeding Stuffs) (EEC Limits) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations, are made under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 and amend the Pesticides (Maximum Residue Levels in Crops, Food and Feeding Stuffs) (EEC Limits) Regulations 1995 (“the principal Regulations”) (S.R. 1995 No. 33, amended by S.R. 1995 No. 461, S.R. 1996 No. 527 and S.R. 1997 No. 244).

To the extent the principal Regulations are made under the European Communities Act 1972, they specify maximum levels of pesticides residues which may be left in crops, food and feeding stuffs in implementation of Council Directive 86/362/EEC (O.J. No. L221, 7.8.86, p. 37), Council Directive 86/363/EEC (O.J. No. L221, 7.8.86, p. 43) and Council Directive 90/642/EEC (O.J. No. L350, 14.12.90, p. 71) each as last amended by Commission Directive 97/71/EC (O.J. No. L347, 18.12.97, p. 42) (Council Directives 86/362, 86/363 and 90/642 as so amended being referred to in the rest of this Explanatory Note as the “Residues Directives”).

These Regulations, in implementation of Council Directive 97/41/EC (O.J. No. L184, 12.7.97, p. 33), further amend the principal Regulations so as to make them applicable in respect of processed products and composite foods in so far as these are the subject of the Residues Directives.

The Regulations also amend the principal Regulations so as to make provision with regard to the manner for determining whether the levels of pesticide residues left in any such dried or processed products or composite foods, so far as these are the subject of the Residues Directives, exceed the maxima permitted under the principal Regulations.