G/SPS/N/AUS/513  
 
2 February 2021  
(21-0867) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  AUSTRALIA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Food Standards Australia 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 sold in Australia (both imported and domestically produced)  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Proposal M1018 - Maximum Residue Limits (2020) - 
Call for submissions . Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  92 (33 Call for 
Submissions report, 56 Supporting Document 1, 3 Supporting Document 2)  
6. Description of content:  This Proposal seeks to amend the Australia New Zealand Food 
Standards Code to align maximum residue limits (MRLs) for various agricultural and 
veterinary (Ag vet) chemicals with the Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicines 
Authority MRL Standard, Codex Alimentarius Commission and trading partner standards 
relating to residues of agricultural and veterinary chemicals in food.  
For M1018, FSANZ commenced routine consideration of MRLs adopted by Codex at the 
preceding year's Codex Alimentarius Commission meeting (CAC) without the need for 
interested parties to also submit requests. New MRLs adopted at the 2019 CAC meeting 
were subjected to a scree ning process prior to being considered for inclusion in the 
harmonisation proposal.  
The agvet chemicals where increased or new MRLs are being considered for specified plant 
commodities are:  
2, 4 -D; abamectin; acephate; acetamiprid; acifluorfen; afidopyrope n; alpha -
cypermethrin (residues captured under the chemical cypermethrin); aluminum phosphide 
(residues are captured under the chemical phosphine); ametoctradin; azoxystrobin; 
bentazone; benzovindiflupyr; bifenthrin; boscalid; carbendazim; carboxin; carfen trazone -
ethyl; chlorantraniliprole; chlorfenapyr; chlorpyrifos; chlorpyrifos -methyl; 
cyantraniliprole; cyazofamid; cyclaniliprole; cyhalothrin (includes lambda); cypermethrin; 
deltamethrin; difenoconazole; dithianon; diuron; ethiprole; fenbuconazole; fenox aprop -
ethyl; fenpicoxamid; fenpyroximate; fluazifop -p-butyl; flubendiamide; fludioxonil; 
fluopyram; fluoride; fluoxastrobin; flupyradifurone; flusilazole; flutolanil; flutriafol; 
fluxapyroxad; folpet; glyphosate; halosulfuron -methyl; hexythiazox; imazalil;  
imidacloprid; iprodione; isofetamid; kresoxim -methyl; lufenuron; malathion (MRLs listed 
under maldison); mandipropamid; MCPA; MCPB; mefentrifluconazole; metalaxyl; 
metconazole; methomyl; metolachlor; milbemectin; myclobutanil; novaluron; oxamyl; 
oxathiapi prolin; paraquat; pendimethalin; phorate; phosphine; picoxystrobin; pirimiphos -
methyl; profenofos; prohexadione -calcium; propamocarb; propiconazole; pyraclostrobin; 
pyraflufen -ethyl; pyrethrins; pyriofenone; pyriproxyfen; pyroxasulfone; sethoxydim; G/SPS/N/AUS/513  
 
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  simazin e; spinosad; sulfoxaflor; tebuconazole; tebufenozide; thiacloprid; thiamethoxam; 
thiophanate -methyl; tioxazafen; triflumezopyrim; zeta -cypermethrin and zoxamide.  
The agvet chemicals where increased or new MRLs are being considered for specified 
animal comm odities are:  
Bentazone; chlorfenapyr; ethiprole; fenpyroximate; fludioxonil; flumequine; glyphosate; 
imazalil; kresoxim -methyl; lufenuron; norflurazon; oxathiapiprolin; propamocarb; 
pyraclostrobin; ractopamine; sethoxydim; sulfoxaflor and tioxazafen.  
The a gvet chemicals where deletions or reductions in MRLs are being proposed are:  
Acetamiprid; acibenzolar -s-methyl; azoxystrobin; bifenthrin; imidacloprid and 
permethrin . 
Note: There were no deletions or reductions in MRLs for animal food commodities.  
New chem icals proposed for inclusion in schedule 20 of the Australia New Zealand Food 
Standards Code are:  
Ethiprole; fenpicoxamid; flumequine; flusilazole; picoxystrobin; tioxazafen and 
triflumezopyrim.  
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 pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
− CAC/MRL 1 Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for Pesticides 2009  
− CAC/MRL 2 Maximum Residue Limits for Veterinary Drugs in Food 2011  
− CAC/MRL 3 Extraneous Maximum Residue Limits (EMRLs) 2001  
subsequent variations to relevant standards as adopted or revoked by the 
Commission.  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM  number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [X] No  
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  For M1018, FSANZ commenced routine consideratio n of MRLs 
adopted by Codex at the preceding year's Codex Alimentarius Commission meeting (CAC) 
without the need for interested parties to also submit requests. This process promotes 
further consistency between domestic and Codex standards.  
Certain proposed  MRLs align with established Codex MRLs. These are detailed in section 
1.3.1 of the assessment summary and in section 6, 'Results of Assessment' in SD1.  
The scientific methodology used by Australia to establish MRLs is consistent with 
international best pr actice. Countries set MRLs according to the good agricultural practice 
(GAP) or good veterinary practice (GVP) applicable to their region to ensure the safety 
and quality of the food. Agricultural and veterinary chemical use patterns differ between 
differe nt production regions and countries as pests, diseases and environmental factors 
vary. This means that Australian MRLs for agricultural and veterinary chemicals in food 
may differ from Codex standards.  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
Australia  New Zealand  Food Standards  Code: 
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/F2015L00468  (available in English)  G/SPS/N/AUS/513  
 
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  10. Proposed date o f adoption (dd/mm/yy) : FSANZ Board approval anticipated 
June 2021.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : FSANZ notifies Australian Government 
Ministers of changes to the MRL Standard. If no review is requested by Ministers, 
publication is anticipated Au gust 2021 with gazettal and registration as a legislative 
instrument to follow, in early September 2021. If a review is requested, FSANZ will submit 
an addendum notification to advise on changes to timeframes.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : Date of Gazettal and registration as a legislative instrument 
pending Government consideration (see 10. above).  
[X] Trade facilitating measure  The Proposal includes measures to address certain 
anomalies between the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code and Codex or 
other trading partner standards.  
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 3 April 2021  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if avail able) of other body:   
The Australian SPS Notification Authority  
GPO Box 858  
Canberra ACT 2601  
Australia  
E-mail: sps.contact@awe.gov.au  
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [  ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
The Australian SPS Notification Authority  
GPO Box 858  
Canberra ACT 2601  
Australia  
E-mail: sps.contact@awe.gov.au