G/SPS/N/GBR/6  
 
15 March 2021 
(21-2145) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED KINGDOM  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and The 
Health and Safety Executive  
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 app licable):  Cereals (HS Codes: 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 
1008), foodstuffs of animal origin (HS Codes: 0201, 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 : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Proposed GB Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for 
dimethoate and omethoate amen ding the GB MRL Statutory Register . Language(s):  
English . Number of pages:  15 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2021/SPS/GBR/21_1847_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The document outlines the proposed MRLs for dimethoate and 
omethoate following the non -approval decision of dimethoate adopted in Great Britain 
and the withdrawal of all plant protection product authorisations.  
Proposed decision made under Article 14 of r etained Regulation (EC) 396/2005 on 
maximum residue levels of pesticides in food and feed of plant and animal origin  
(https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2005/396/contents ) as it applies i n Great Britain, 
pursuant to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and European Union (Withdrawal 
Agreement) Act 2020. Great Britain ("GB") refers to England, Scotland and Wales.  
The non -approval decision for dimethoate, which came into force while the United 
Kingdom was still subject to EU legislation and was therefore retained in Great Britain , is 
available here:  
EU Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1090  (https://eur -
lex.europa.eu/legal -content/en/ALL/?uri=CELEX:02019R1090 -20190627 ). 
The non -approval TBT notification can be found here:  
TBT notification  for dimethoate  
(http://tbtims.wto.org/en/Notifications/Sear ch?ProductsCoveredHSCodes=&ProductsCov
eredICSCodes=&DoSearch=True&ExpandSearchMoreFields=False&NotifyingMember=&D
ocumentSymbol=&DistributionDateFrom=&DistributionDateTo=&SearchTerm=dimethoa
te&ProductsCovered=&DescriptionOfContent=&CommentPeriod=&FinalDateF orComment
sFrom=&FinalDateForCommentsTo=&ProposedDateOfAdoptionFrom=&ProposedDateOfA
doptionTo=&ProposedDateOfEntryIntoForceFrom=&ProposedDateOfEntryIntoForceTo= ). G/SPS/N/GBR/6  
 
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  Omethoate is a non -approved active in Great Britain . The residue definition for compliance 
with MRLs requires dimethoate and omethoate to be determined separately.  
All MRLs are being lowered to the limit of quantification as a public health concern cannot 
be excluded. The basis of the assessment was delivered and implemented prior to 
1 January 2021  and therefore the risk assessment delivered by the European Food Safety 
Authority is being referenced. The risk assessment can be seen here: Peer review of the 
risk assessment  of the active  substance  dimethoate  
(https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5454 ). 
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) : The Codex MRLs (CXLs) adopted for dimethoate and 
omethoate are available in the Codex Pesticide Residues in Food Online Database.  
The CXLs specifically for dimet hoate and omethoate are available here:  
− Dimethoate CXLs  
http://www.fao.org/fao -who-codexalimentarius/codex -
texts/dbs/pestres/pesticide -detail/en/?p_id=27  
− Omethoate CXLs  
http://www.fao.org/fao -who-codexalimentarius/codex -
texts/dbs/pestres/pesticide -detail/en/?p_id=55  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Conventio n (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:  There are currently codex MRLs esta blished for dimethoate and 
these are listed in the "Codex Pesticide Residues in Food Online Database ". However, the 
Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues1 (JMPR) has recommended that all codex MRLs for 
dimethoate are withdrawn as a result of concerns relatin g to the genotoxicity of 
omethoate and other related metabolites. The JMPR was unable to conduct long term and 
acute dietary intake assessments.  
The JMPR report from 2019 can been seen here:  
http://www.fao.org/3/ca7455en/ca7455en.pdf . 
The measures proposed are in accordance with the recommendations made by the JMPR.  
The measure has no impact on the two CXLs established for omethoate.  
1 The "Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues" (JMPR) is an exp ert ad hoc body administered jointly by 
FAO and WHO in the purpose of harmonizing the requirement and the risk assessment on the 
pesticide residues . 
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 3 June 2021  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 3 June 2021  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 3 December 2021  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   G/SPS/N/GBR/6  
 
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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) : 14 May 2021  
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:   
UK SPS Contact Point, Defra, Nobel House, London SW1P 3JR  
E-mail: UKSPS@defra.gov.uk  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
UK SPS Contact Point, Defra, Nobel House, London SW1P 3JR  
E-mail: UKSPS@defra.gov.uk