. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/EEC/196
11 April 2003
(03-1991)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:   Commission of the European Communities. Health & Consumer
Protection Directorate-General  Directorate E – Food Safety: Plant Health, Animal Health
and Welfare, International questions
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):  Cereals (1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1008), foodstuffs of
animal origin (0201, 0202, 0202, 0203, 0204, 0205, 0206, 0207, 0208, 0209, 0210) and
certain products of plant origin, including fruit and vegetables.
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
Member States of the European Communities (EC) and third countries exporting the
products concerned to the EC.
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Proposal for a
Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on maximum residue levels ofpesticides in products of plant and animal  origin.  (COM(2003) 117 final;  2003/0052
(COD) [60 pages.  Available in al l European Community languages].
6. Description of content:  The proposed Regulation replaces and simplifies the four existing
basic Council Directives on Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for Plant Protection
Products (PPP) namely Directives 76/895/EEC, 86/362/EEC, 86/363/EEC and
90/642/EEC.  The consequence will be that all MRLs will become harmonized through allmember States of the European Community after a transitional period, and will thenceforth
only be set at the European Community level.
In all cases where a particular PPP is not authorized on a commodity or when no data are
available to demonstrate that its residues do not endanger consumer health, no residues
may be permitted on this commodity at levels higher than 0.01 mg/kg which is an
enforceable default for zero.  Exceptions will be made for substances where a level of
0.01 mg/kg is not safe for the consumer by setting MRLs at a lower level.
7. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [ X ] plant protection,
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,  [   ]  protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [ X ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:G/SPS/N/EEC/196
Page 2
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  European Union
Document: COM(2003) 117 final 2003/0052 (COD) available in  all community languages.
10. Proposed date of adoption:   This proposal follows the procedure established by Article 251
of the Treaty (Co-decision) and although it is e xpected to be adopted by 1 July 2004 this date
may be different according to its progress through the European Parliament.
You can get information on the evolution of any Commission proposal through the
European Parliament and the Council, by consulting "Eur-Lex" at:
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/index.html.
Select "Legislation in Preparation" and then "Decision-making process between
institutions".  After introducing the code for the COM /COD you will arrive at:
http://europa.eu.int/prelex/detail_dossier_real.cfm?CL=en&DosId=181352
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   1 January 2005
12. Final date for comments:  Sixty (60) days after the date of notification
Agency or authority designated to handle co mments:  [ X ] EC notification authority,
[   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of
other body:
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority,  [ X ] EC enquiry point,  or
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
English / French / Spanish text available from:
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/pdf/2003/com2003_0117en01.pdf
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/fr/com/pdf/2003/com2003_0117fr01.pdf
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/es/com/pdf/2003/com2003_0117es01.pdf