. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/AUS/160 
22 March 2004 
 (04-1265) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   AUSTRALIA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:   Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Foods in general. 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  All 
countries.  Imported (a s well as domestically produced) foods sold in Australia. 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Assessment Report for 
Maximum Residue Limits Application:  A520 (available in English, 38 pages) 
6. Description of content:  This Application seeks to amend the Australia New Zealand Food 
Standards Code  (the Code) to align maximum residue limits (MRLs) of agricultural and 
veterinary chemicals in food products so that  they are consistent with other national 
regulations relating to the safe and effective use of agricultural and veterinary chemicals. In 
administrative terms and consistent with intern ational practice, MRLs assist in regulating 
the use of agricultural and veterinary ch emical products.  MRLs indicate whether 
agricultural and veterinary chemical products  have been used in accordance with the 
registered conditions of use.  MRLs in the Code  also act to protect public health and public 
safety by ensuring that chemical residues are no higher than necessary, and act as 
international trading standards. 
This Application (A520) seeks to amend Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for non-
antibiotic agricultural and veterinary chemic als in the Code.  The MRL amendments under 
consideration in this Application are: th e deletion of all the MRLs for fenchlorphos, 
fenoprop, methacrifos and promacacyl; the deletion of MRLs for certain foods for dithiocarbamates, pyrethrins and triadimefon;  the addition of the chemicals bifenazate and 
bioresmethrin; the addition of MRLs for certa in foods for dimethomorph, dithiocarbamates, 
haloxyfop, propiconazole and propyzamide;  the changing of MRLs for certain foods for 
acetamiprid, cyproconazole, difenoconazole, di methomorph, dithiocarbamates, fipronil, 
fluvalinate and glyphosate;  and the addition of temporary MRLs for certain foods for 
azoxystrobin, benalaxyl, buprofezin, cypr oconazole, difenoconazole, dimethomorph, 
dithiocarbamates, metalaxyl and, tebufenozide. 
 
The MRLs prescribed in the Code constitute a mandatory requirement applying to all food 
products of a particular class, whether produced  domestically or imported.  Food products 
with a residue that exceeds the relevant MRL set out in the Code ca nnot legally be supplied 
or sold in Australia. 
 G/SPS/N/AUS/160 
Page 2  
 
 This Application contains variations to  MRLs, which are addressed in the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission standard.  These MRLs may also relate to chemicals used in the 
production of heavily traded agricultural commod ities, which may indirectly affect trade of 
derivative food products between WTO Members. 
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. 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:   The current Codex Alimentarius Commission 
MRLs for dithiocarbamates include 0.5 mg/kg for onion, bulb and leek.  The proposed 
FSANZ MRLs for dithiocarbamates include the inclusion of 10 mg./kg. for bulb vegetables 
[except garlic and onion, bulb] and 4 mg./kg. for onion, bulb.  Therefore, the proposed MRLs will be less restrictive than currently is the case. 
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Australia New 
Zealand Food Standards Code  (English) 
10. Proposed date of adoption:   Notification to Government anticipated in mid 2004 with 
adoption (gazettal) to follow, pending Government consideration. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   Date of Gazettal pending Government consideration 
(see 10. above). 
12. Final date for comments:  9 May 2004 
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:    
Food Standards Aust ralia New Zealand 
PO Box 7186 
Canberra BC  ACT  2610 Australia Fax: + 61 2 6271 2278 
E-mail:  info@foodstandards.gov.au
 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority, [   ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:   Documents are 
available from the Food Standards Australia New Ze aland website: 
www.foodstandards.gov.au/standardsdevelopment .   
Copies are also available from: 
The Australian SPS Notification Point 
GPO Box 858 Canberra  ACT  2601 
Australia 
Fax: +61 2 6272 3678    
E-mail: sps.contact@daff.gov.au