. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/EEC/280 
3 January 2006 
 (06-0006) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd 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 Co mmunities. 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, 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 Communiti es (EC) and third countries exporting the 
products concerned to the EC  
5. Title, language and number of p ages of the notified document:  Draft Commission 
Directive amending the Annexes to Counc il Directives 86/362/EEC, 86/363/EEC and 
90/642/EEC as regards maximum residue levels  for aldicarb, atrazine, azinphos-ethyl, 
cyfluthrin, ethephon, fenthion, methamidophos , methomyl, thiodicarb, paraquat, and 
triazophos. (SANCO/10432/2005 rev 1)  
6. Description of content:  These draft annexes change some EU maximum residue levels 
(MRLs) aldicarb, atrazine, azinphos-ethyl, cy fluthrin, ethephon, fenthion, methamidophos, 
methomyl, thiodicarb, paraquat, and triazophos.  
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   
Taking into account consumption data in the EU and in view of new scientific data for these 
two substances, the EU Rapporteur Member St ates have proposed to reduce MRL's.  New 
data revealed that for specific commodities, there is an acute risk for the consumers. 
Therefore, for those commodities in which acute intake concerns exist, the current MRLs of 
these eleven pesticides will be reduced to safe levels for the consumers.  In certain cases, the 
proposal lowers the MRLs to the LOD.  G/SPS/N/EEC/280 
Page 2  
 
 8. International standard, guideline or recommendation: 
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [   ] None 
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:   
During the 37
th Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues held in The Hague (18-
23 April 2005), the EC raised already its concern to the Committee about the different 
ARfDs between EC and JMPR. (see ALINORM 05/28/24).  
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  CODEX document:  
ALINORM 05/28/24 Codex Committee on Pesticid e Residues Session 37;  "Joint FAO/WHO 
Food Standards programme Codex Alimentarius Commission; Twenty-eighth Session, Rome, 
Italy, 4 - 9 July 2005".  See:  http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/reports.jsp .  
Annexes of European Union Document:  (SANCO/10432/2005 rev 1). When adopted it w ill 
be published at the Offici al Journal available at:   
http://europa.eu.int/eur-l ex/lex/JOYear.do?year=2005 . 
10. Proposed date of adoption:   As soon as possible  
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Nine months after adoption at the latest 
12. Final date for comments:  Sixty (60) days after the date of notification  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National notification 
authority, [   ] National enquiry point,  or address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National noti fication authority, [ X ] National enquiry 
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: