G/SPS/N/EU/174  
 
12 December 2016  
(16-6761) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member: EUROPEAN UNION  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible: European Commission, Hea lth and Food Safety 
Directorate -General  
3. Products covered (provide tariff it em number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Cereals (HS Codes: 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, 
1006, 1007, 1008), foodstuffs of animal origin (HS Codes: 0201, 0202, 02 03, 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 : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or cou ntries:   
5. Title of the notified document: Annexes to "Draft Commission Regulation amending 
Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and the 
Council as rega rds maximum residue levels for acrinathrin , metalaxyl and thi abendazole 
in or on certain products" . Language(s): English . Number of pages: 21 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/SPS/EEC/16_5055_00_e.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/SPS/EEC/16_5055_01_e.pdf  
6. Description of content: These notified annexes to the draft Regulation set proposed 
maximum residue levels (MRLs) for the  substances acrinathrin , metalaxyl and 
thiabendazole. MRLs for these substances in certain commodities are changed: either 
increased or lowered. Lower MRLs are set after updating the limit of determinations 
and/or deleting old uses which are not authorised  any more in the European Union or for 
which a human health concern may not be excluded. The residue definitions of the 
substances have also been updated.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [ ]  animal health, [ ]  plant protection, 
[ ] protect hu mans 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) : Codex Maximum Residue Limits  for the following 
pesticides: acrinathrin , metalaxyl and thiabendazole.  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :   
[ ] International Plant P rotection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :   G/SPS/N/EU/174  
 
- 2 - 
 
  [ ] 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: Some MRLs are different from Codex Standards; they are 
based on the scientific advice provided by EFSA (see below)  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
 EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), 2015. Reasoned opinion on the review of 
the existing maximum residue levels (MRLs) for acrinathrin according to Article 12 of 
Regulation (EC) No 396/2005. EFSA Journal 2015;13(7):4203.  
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/scientific_output/files/main_document
s/4203.pdf  
 EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), 2015. Reasoned opinion on combined 
review of the existing maximum residue levels (MRLs) for the active substances 
metalaxyl a nd metalaxyl -M. EFSA Journal 2015;13(4):4076.  
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/scientific_output/files/main_document
s/4076.pdf  
 EFSA (E uropean Food Safety Authority), 2016. Reasoned opinion on the revisionof 
the review of the existing maximum residue levels  (MRLs) for thiabendazole. 
EFSA Journal 2016;14(6):4516.  
http://www.ef sa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4516  
(available in English)  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : February 2017  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : May 2017  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ]  Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the European 
Union  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : Comments are welcomed only  on MRLs that were 
changed (in bold in a document linked under point 5 of this notification).  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if ava ilable) of other body:  
European Commission  
DG Health and Consumers, Unit D2 -Multilateral International Relations  
Rue Froissart 101, B -1049 Brussels  
Tel: (+32 2) 295 42 63  
Fax: (+32 2) 299 80 90  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu  
13. Text(s)  available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
European Commission  
DG Health and Consumers, Unit D2 -Multilateral International Relations  
Rue Froissart 101, B -1049 Brussels  
Tel: (+32 2) 295 42 63  
Fax: (+32 2) 299 80 90  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu