Commission Recommendation of 22 December 2000 concerning a coordinated Community monitoring programme for 2001 to ensure compliance with maximum levels of pesticide residues in and on cereals and certain products of plant origin, including fruit and vegetables (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2000) 4096)
Date: 2000-12-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, cereals, crop production, fruit, pesticide residue, vegetable

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COMMISSION

COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION

of 22 December 2000

concerning a coordinated Community monitoring programme for 2001 to ensure compliance with
maximum levels of pesticide residues in and on cereals and certain products of plant origin,
including fruit and vegetables

(notified under document number C(2000) 4096)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2001/42/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(3)

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 86/362/EEC of 24 July
1986 on the fixing of maximum levels for pesticide residues in
and on cereals (1), as last amended by Directive 2000/58/EC (2),
and in particular Article 7(2)(b) thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 90/642/EEC of 27
November 1990 on the fixing of maximum levels for pesticide
residues in and on certain products of plant origin, including
fruit and vegetables (3), as last amended by Directive 2000/
58/EC, and in particular Article 4(2)(b) thereof,

Whereas:

The Commission should progressively work towards a
system which would permit the estimation of actual
pesticide dietary exposure, as provided for in the second
paragraph of Article 7(3) of Directive 86/362/EEC and
the second paragraph of Article 4(3) of Directive 90/
642/EEC. To facilitate examination of the feasibility of
such estimations, data concerning the monitoring of
residues of pesticides in a number of food products
which constitute major components of European diets
should be available. In view of the resources available at
national level for pesticide residue monitoring, Member
States are only able to analyse samples of 10 products
each year within a coordinated monitoring programme.
Pesticide uses show changes within a five years' rolling
programme timescale. Each pesticide should generally be
monitored in 20 to 30 food products over a series of
three-year cycles.

(1)

(2)

Article 7(2)(b) of Directive 86/362/EEC and Article
4(2)(b) of Directive 90/642/EEC require the Commission
to submit to the Standing Committee on Plant Health by
31 December each year a recommendation setting out a
coordinated Community monitoring programme to
ensure compliance for maximum levels of pesticide resi-
dues set out in the Annexes II to the said Directives.

annual

previous

indicates

Experience gained by the Commission and the Member
States in establishing, carrying out and reporting on the
coordinated monitoring
three
programmes
that multiannual programmes
It appears
appear to be most effective and practical.
appropriate to indicate in this recommendation the
framework of
future programmes. Article 1(1) of
Commission Regulation (EC) No 645/2000 (4) provides
for Commission recommendations covering periods
between one and five years.

(1) OJ L 221, 7.8.1986, p. 37.
(2) OJ L 244, 29.9.2000, p. 78.
(3) OJ L 350, 14.12.1990, p. 71.
(4) OJ L 78, 29.3.2000, p. 7.

(4)

(5)

The residues recommended to be monitored in 2001
will allow examination of the feasibility of using the data
concerning the pesticides acephate, the benomyl group,
chlorpyriphos, iprodione and methamidophos as these
compounds (identified as Group A in Annex IA) have
already been monitored between 1996 and 2000 for
exposure. Continued
estimation of
monitoring facilitates recognising changes in pesticide
occurrence.

actual dietary

The residues recommended to be monitored between
2001 and 2004 will allow examination of the feasibility
of using the data concerning the pesticides diazinon,
metalaxyl, methidathion, thiabendazole and triazophos
for estimation of actual dietary exposure as
these
compounds (identified as Group B in Annex IA) have
already been monitored between 1997 and 2000.

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(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

The residues recommended to be monitored between
2001 and 2004 will allow examination of the feasibility
of using the data concerning the pesticides chlorpyri-
phos-methyl, deltamethrin, endosulfan, imazalil, lambda-
cyhalothrin, the maneb group, mecarbam, permethrin,
pirimiphos-methyl and vinclozolin for estimation of
actual dietary exposure, as these compounds (identified
as Group C in Annex IA) have already been monitored
in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

The residues recommended to be monitored between
2000 and 2004 will allow examination of the feasibility
of using the data concerning the pesticides azinphosme-
thyl, captan, chlorothalonil, dichlofluanid, dicofol, dime-
thoate,
folpet, malathion, omethoate, procymidone,
propyzamide and azoxystrobine for estimation of actual
dietary exposure as these compounds, except azoxystro-
bine (identified as Group D in Annex IA) have already
been monitored in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

is not

The monitoring of disulfoton, phorate, thiometon and
oxydemeton-methyl
feasible within routine
monitoring mufti-residue analytical methods. It is appro-
priate to collect data on occurrence of these residues
when expected, in those Member States where the pesti-
cide residues are most likely to be detected.

A systematic statistical approach to numbers of samples
to be taken in each coordinated monitoring exercise is
necessary. Such an approach has been set out by the
Commission of the Codex Alimentarius (5). Based on a
binomial probability distribution it can be calculated
that examination of a total sample number of 459 gives
a 99 % confidence of detecting one sample containing
pesticide residues above the LOD where 1 % of products
of plant origin contain residues above the LOD. At least
459 samples should therefore be taken across the
Community,
apportioned between
Member States on the basis of population and consumer
numbers, with a minimum of 12 samples per product
and per year, and indicated in Annex IB.

and should be

(10) Draft guidelines concerning quality control procedures
for pesticide residue analysis, have been discussed by the
experts of the Member States at Oeiras, Portugal on 15
and 16 September 1997 and discussed and taken note
of in the subgroup ‘Pesticide Residues’ of the Working
Group on Plant Health on 20 and 21 November 1997.
It is agreed that these draft guidelines should be imple-
mented as far as possible by the analytical laboratories
of the Member States and should be reviewed in the
light of this experience. The guidelines were discussed
and revised by the experts of the Member States at
Athens, Greece on 15 to 17 November 1999. The
revised guidelines will be submitted to the Standing

(5) Codex Alimentarius,

‘Pesticide Residues in Foodstuffs’, Rome 1994,

ISBN 92-5-203271-1; Volume 2, page 372.

Committee on Plant Health and are to be published by
the Commission (6).

(11) Article 4(2)(a) of Directive 90/642/EEC requires Member
States to specify the criteria applied in drawing up their
inspection programmes when sending to the
national
Commission information on their
implementation
during the previous year. Such information should
include the criteria applied in determining the numbers
of samples to be taken and analyses to be carried out
and the reporting levels applied and the criteria by
which the reporting levels have been fixed. Details of
accreditation under Directive 93/99/EEC of 29 October
1993 on the subject of additional measures concerning
the official control of foodstuffs (7) of the laboratories
carrying out analyses should be indicated.

(12)

Information on the results of monitoring programmes is
particularly appropriate for treatment, storage and trans-
mission by electronic/informatic methods. Formats have
been developed for supply of data in diskette form from
the Member States to the Commission. Member States
should therefore be able to send their reports to the
Commission in the standard format. The further devel-
opment of such a standard format is most effectively
undertaken by the development of guidelines by the
Commission.

(13)

The measures provided for in this recommendation are
in accordance with the opinion of
the Standing
Committee on Plant Health,

HEREBY RECOMMENDS THE MEMBER STATES TO:

Article 1

Sample and analyse for the product/pesticide residue combina-
tions set out in Annex IA, on the basis of the number of
samples of each product allocated to each Member State in
Annex IB, reflecting as appropriate, national, Community and
third country share of the Member State's market; for at least
one pesticide possibly posing an acute risk, one of the products
will be subjected to individual analysis of the items in the
composite sample: two samples of an appropriate number of
items will be taken, where possible the produce of a single
producer; if in the first, composite sample a detectable level of
the pesticide is found, the items of the second sample will be
analysed individually; in 2001 this will include the combina-
tion phorate/potatoes and/or metidathion/apples.

Article 2

Sample products for the analysis of disulfoton, phorate, thio-
meton and oxydemeton-methyl
in those countries where
authorisations exist for the use of these pesticides on those
products, on the basis of the number of samples of each
product allocated to each Member State in Annex IB.

(6) Published in OJ L 128, 21.5.1999, p. 30. A revised version
SANCO/3103/2000
document

will
(http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/ph_ps/pest/index_en.htm).

available

number

be

as

(7) OJ L 290, 24.11.1993, p. 14.

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Article 3

By 31 August 2001, report the results for the part of the
specific exercise allocated for 2000 in Annex IA, indicating the
analytical methods used and reporting levels achieved,
in
accordance with the quality control procedures set out in the
quality control procedures for pesticide residue analysis (8), in a
format, including the electronic format, as set out in the Docu-
ment for Guidance to the Member States with regard to imple-
mentation of the Commission Recommendations concerning
coordinated Community monitoring programmes (9).

cide residue analysis which they have not been able to apply
or have had difficulty in applying;

3.

information on accreditation in accordance with the provi-
sions of Article 3 of Directive 93/99/EEC (including type of
accreditation, accreditation body and copy of accreditation
certificate) of the laboratories carrying out the analyses;

4.

information about the proficiency tests and ring tests the
laboratory has participated in.

Article 4

Article 5

By 31 August 2001, send to the Commission and to the
Member States all the information as required by Article 7(3) of
Directive 86/362/EEC and Article 4(3) of Directive 90/642/EEC
concerning the 2000 monitoring exercise to ensure, at least by
check sampling, compliance with maximum pesticide residue
levels including:

1. the results of their national programmes concerning pesti-
cides listed in the Annexes II of Directives 86/362/EEC and
90/642/EEC,
in relation to harmonised levels and, where
these have not yet been fixed at Community level, in rela-
levels in force;
tion to the national

2.

information on their laboratories quality control procedures
and,
information concerning aspects of the
guidelines concerning quality control procedures for pesti-

in particular,

By 30 September 2001, send to the Commission their intended
for monitoring maximum pesticide
national programme
residue levels fixed by Directives 90/642/EEC and 86/362/EEC
for the year 2002.

This recommendation is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 22 December 2000.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

(8) See footnote 6.
(9) OJ L 128, 21.5.1999, p. 48.

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ANNEX IA

Pesticide/product combinations to be monitored in the specific exercise set out

in Article 1 of

this

Pesticide residue for which to be
analysed

Recommendation

Years (1)

2001

2002

2003

2004

GROUP A

Acephate

Benomyl group

Chlorpyriphos

Iprodione

Methamidophos

GROUP B

Diazinon

Metalaxyl

Methidathion

Thiabendazole

Triazophos

GROUP C

Chlorpyriphos-methyl

Deltamethrin

Endosulfan

Imazalil

Lambda-cyhalothrin

Maneb group

Mecarbam

Permethrin

Pirimiphos-methyl

Vinclozolin

GROUP D

Azinphos-methyl

Captan

Chlorothalonil

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

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Pesticide residue for which to be
analysed

Years (1)

2001

2002

2003

2004

Dichlofluanid

Dicofol

Dimethoate

Disulfoton

Folpet

Malathion

Omethoate

Oxydemeton-methyl

Phorate

Procymidone

Propyzamide

Thiometon

Azoxystrobin

GROUP E

Aldicarb

Bromopropylate

Cypermethrin

Methiocarb

Methomyl

Monocrotophos

Parathion

Tolylfluanid

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

(d)

Indicative for, 2002, 2003 and 2004, subject to programmes which will be recommended for these years.

(1)
(a) Apples, tomatoes,
(b) Pears, bananas, beans (fresh or frozen), potatoes, carrots, oranges, mandarines, peaches/nectarines, spinach.
(c) Cauliflower, peppers, wheat, melon, rice, cucumber, head cabbage, peas (fresh/frozen, without pod).
(d) Apples, oats, tomatoes,

leeks, onions, orange juice, apple juice, rye, aubergines.

lettuce, strawberries, grapes.

lettuce, grapes, strawberries,

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Number of samples of each product to be taken by each Member State,

in the coordinated Community

monitoring programme for 2001

ANNEX IB

B

12

DK

12

D

93

EL

12

E

45

F

66

IRL

12

I

65

L

12

NL

17

A

12

P

12

FIN

12

S

12

UK

66

Total

460

Coordinated monitoring programme of the years 1996 to 2004 with the intake estimation time windows and
scope

ANNEX II

Year

Product groups monitored

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

z

y

x

w

v

z

y + x

w + v

z + u

Pesticide
groups monitored
(Annex I A)

A

A, B

A, B, C

A, B, C

A, B, C

A, B, C, D

A, B, C, D, E

A, B, C, D, E

A, B, C, D, E

Intake estimation period

Intake pesticides scope

1996-2000

1997-2001

1999-2002

2001-2003

2002-2004

A

A, B

A, B, C

A, B, C, D

A, B, C, D, E

lettuce.

z Apples, strawberries, grapes, tomatoes,
y Mandarines, pears, bananas, beans, potatoes.
x Oranges, peaches, carrots, spinach.
w Cauliflower, peppers, wheat, melons.
v Rice, cucumber, head cabbage, peas.
u Onions,

leeks, orange juice, apple juice, rye.