G/SPS/N/AUS/465  
 
13 December 2018  
(18-7861) 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 count ries 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 M1016 - Maximum Residue Limits (2018) . 
Language(s): English.  Number of pages: 46 
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/proposals/Pages/M1016.aspx  
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 chemicals with Codex or trading partner standards relating to residues of 
agricultural and veterinary chemicals in food.  
The agvet chemicals where increased or new MRLs are  being considered for specified plant 
commodities are:  
2, 4 -D, abamectin, acetamiprid, alpha -cypermethrin, benzovindiflupyr, boscalid, 
bupirimate, carbaryl, chlorantraniliprole, chlorpyrifos -methyl, clofentezine, clothianidin, 
cyflufenamid, cyprodinil, del tamethrin, difenoconazole, diflubenzuron, diflufenican, 
diuron, emamectin, famoxadone, fenazaquin, fenbuconazole, fenpyrazamine, fluazifop -p-
butyl, fluazinam, fluopyram, flupyradifurone, fluxapyroxad, folpet, halosulfuron -methyl, 
lambda -cyhalothrin, mandes trobin, mesotrione, metaflumizone, metalaxyl -M 
(mefenoxam), methamidophos, methidathion, penthiopyrad, phenmedipham, phosmet, 
phosphine, pirimicarb, prochloraz, profenofos, propaquizafop, pyraclostrobin, 
pyrimethanil, quinoxyfen, quizalofop P -tefuryl, quiz alofop -P (P ethyl), rimsulfuron, 
saflufenacil, sethoxydim, sulfoxaflor, tebufenozide, tebufenpyrad, teflubenzuron, terbacil, 
thiophanate -methyl and trifluralin.  
Note: There were no increases or new MRLs for animal food commodities, however there 
were delet ions for animal food commodities.  
The agvet chemicals where deletions or reductions in MRLs are proposed are:  
aldoxycarb, azaconazole, carbaryl, chinomethionat (see oxythioquinox), chlorpropham, 
clodinafop acid, clodinafop -propargyl, diafenthiuron, dimethi pin, dimethirimol, diuron, 
fenvalerate, flamprop -methyl, flucythrinate, flusilazole, olaquindox, oxydemeton -methyl, 
oxythioquinox, permethrin, phosmet, propargite, pyridate, sulfoxaflor, sulprofos, 
tebufenozide, tetrachlorvinphos, tetradifon, thiometon, to lylfluanid, trichloroethylene and 
triflumizole.  G/SPS/N/AUS/465  
 
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  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  
 and 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 wh y it deviates from the 
international standard: Certain proposed MRLs align with established Codex MRLs. 
These are detailed in section 1.3.1 of the assess ment summary and in section 6, 'Results 
of Assessment'  in SD1. 
The scientific methodology used by Austr alia to establish MRLs is consistent with 
international best practice. 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. Agricultu ral and veterinary chemical use patterns differ between 
different 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 st andards.  
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)  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : FSANZ Board approval anticipated 
June 2019.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : Notification to Government anticipated 
June 2019 with gazettal and registration as a legislative instrume nt to follow, in 
September 2019, pending Government consideration.  
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 consider ation (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.  G/SPS/N/AUS/465  
 
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  12. Final date for comments: [X ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 11 February 2019  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
Food Standards Australia New Zealand  
PO Box 5423  
KINGSTON ACT 2604  
Australia  
Fax: +(61 2) 6271 2278  
E-mail: standards.management@foodstandards.gov.au  
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:   
Documents are available from the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website:  
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/proposals/Pages/M1016.aspx  
Copies are also available from:  
The Australian SPS Notification Authority  
GPO Box 858  
CANBERRA ACT  2601 
Australia  
E-mail: sps.contact@agriculture.gov.au