. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/AUS/156
23 December 2003
(03-6713)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   AUSTRALIA
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:   Food Standards Austra lia New Zealand (FSANZ)
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where
applicable):  Foods in general
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: All
countries.  Imported (as well as domestically produced) foods sold in Australia .
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Assessment Report for
Maximum Residue Limits Application:  A510  (available in English, 34 pages)
6. Description of content:  This Application seeks to amend the Australia New Zealand Food
Standards Code  (the Code) to align maximum residue limits (MRLs) of agricultural and
veterinary chemicals in food products so that  they are consistent with other national
regulations relating to the safe and effective us e of agricultural and veterinary chemicals.  In
administrative terms and consistent with international practice, MRLs assist in regulating
the use of agricultural and veterinary chemical products.  MRLs indicate whether
agricultural and veterinary chemical products have been used in accordance with the
registered conditions of use.  MRLs in the Code also act to protect public health and public
safety by ensuring that chemical residues are no higher than necessary, and act asinternational trading standards.
The MRLs prescribed in the Code constitute a mandatory requirement applying to all food
products of a particular class, whether pr oduced domestically or imported.  Food products
with a residue that exceeds the relevant MRL set out in the Code cannot legally be suppliedor sold in Australia.
This Application contains variations to MRLs, which are addressed in the Codex
Alimentarius Commission standard.  These MRLs may also relate to chemicals used in the
production of heavily traded agricultural commodities, which may indirectly affect trade of
derivative food products between WTO Members.
7. Objective and rationale:  [ X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [   ] protect territory from other
damage from pestsG/SPS/N/AUS/156
Page 2
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [   ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:   The current Codex Alimentarius Commission
MRLs for bioresmethrin include 1 mg/kg for wheat, 5 mg/kg for unprocessed wheat bran,and 3 mg/kg for wheat germ.  The proposed deletion by FSANZ of the MRLs for
bioresmethrin for cereal grains, unprocessed wheat bran, and wheat germ will mean that
the requirements for these three commodities in relation to bioresmethrin will be more
restrictive than currently is the case.
9. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available: Australia New
Zealand Food Standards Code  (available in English)
10. Proposed date of adoption:   Notification to Government anticipated in early 2004 with
adoption (gazettal) to follow, pending Government consideration.
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   Date of Gazettal pending Government consideration
(see 10. above).
12. Final date for comments:  17 February 2004
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ X ] National notification
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
PO Box 7186
Canberra BC ACT 2610Australia
Fax:  + 61 2 6271 2278
E-mail:  info@foodstandards.gov.au
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority, [   ] National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:   Documents are
available from the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website:www.foodstandards.gov.au/standardsdevelopment .
Copies are also available from:
The Australian SPS Notification Point
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Fax:  +61 2 6272 3678
Email:  sps.contact@daff.gov.au