Commission Recommendation of 27 December 2001 concerning a coordinated Community monitoring programme for 2002 to ensure compliance with maximum levels of pesticide residues in and on cereals and certain other products of plant origin (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2001) 3771)
Date: 2001-12-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, cereals, crop production, pesticide residue

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COMMISSION

COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION

of 27 December 2001

concerning a coordinated Community monitoring programme for 2002 to ensure compliance with
maximum levels of pesticide residues in and on cereals and certain other products of plant origin

(notified under document number C(2001) 3771)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2002/1/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(2)

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 Commission Directive
2001/57/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 2001/
57/EC, and in particular Article 4(2)(b) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

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.
Article 1(1) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 645/
2000 (4) provides that such recommendations may cover
a periods of between one and five years.

(1) OJ L 221, 7.8.1986, p. 37.
(2) OJ L 208, 1.8.2001, p. 36.
(3) OJ L 350, 14.12.1990, p. 71.
(4) OJ L 78, 29.3.2000, p. 7.

The Commission should progressively work towards a
system which would permit the estimation of dietary
exposure to actual pesticide, 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 Euro-
pean diets should be available. In view of the resources
available
residue
level
monitoring, Member States are only able to analyse
samples of eight products each year within a coordi-
nated monitoring programme. Pesticide uses
show
changes within the timescale of the five-year rolling
programme. Each pesticide should thus generally be
monitored in 20 to 30 food products over a series of
three-year cycles.

for pesticide

at national

(3)

Member States should adopt continuous monitoring
methods, since these facilitate the recognition of changes
in the occurrence of pesticides.

(4)

Residues of the pesticides acephate, the benomyl group,
chlorpyriphos, iprodione and methamidophos should be
monitored in 2002, as this will allow examination of the
feasibility of using these pesticides for the estimation of
actual dietary exposure to them, since these compounds
(identified as Group A in Annex I) have already been
monitored between 1996 and 2001.

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(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

Residues of the pesticides diazinon, metalaxyl, methida-
thion, thiabendazole and triazophos should be moni-
tored between 2002 and 2005, as this will allow exam-
ination of the feasibility of using these pesticides for the
estimation of actual dietary exposure to them, since
these compounds (identified as Group B in Annex I)
have already been monitored between 1997 and 2001.

imazalil,

Residues of the pesticides chlorpyriphos-methyl, delta-
methrin, endosulfan,
lambda-cyhalothrin, the
maneb group, mecarbam, permethrin, pirimiphos-
methyl and vinclozolin should be monitored between
2002 and 2005, as this will allow examination of the
feasibility of using these pesticides for the estimation of
actual dietary exposure to them, since these compounds
(identified as Group C in Annex I) have already been
monitored between 1998 and 2001.

Residues of
the pesticides azinphos-methyl, captan,
chlorothalonil, dichlofluanid, dicofol, dimethoate, folpet,
malathion, omethoate, oxydemeton-methyl, phorate,
procymidone, propyzamide and azoxystrobine should
be monitored between 2002 and 2005, as this will allow
examination of the feasibility of using these pesticides
for the estimation of actual dietary exposure to them,
since these compounds (identified as Group D in Annex
I) have already been monitored in 2001.

the pesticides aldicarb, bromopropylate,
Residues of
cypermethrin, methiocarb, methomyl, parathion and
tolylfluanid should be monitored between 2002 and
2005, as this will allow examination of the feasibility of
using these pesticides for the estimation of actual dietary
exposure to them, since these compounds (identified as
Group E in Annex I) will be monitored in 2002.

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 (1). Based on a
binomial probability distribution it can be calculated
that examination of 459 samples gives a 99 % confi-
dence of detecting one sample containing pesticide resi-
dues above the limit of determination (LOD) where 1 %
of products of plant origin contain residues above the
LOD. At least 459 samples should therefore be taken
across the Community. Collection of
these samples
should be apportioned between Member States on the
basis of population and consumer numbers, with a
minimum of 12 samples per product and per year.

(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 noted 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 implemented
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 again discussed and
revised by the experts of the Member States in Athens
on 15, 16 and 17 November 1999. The revised guide-
lines have been submitted to the Standing Committee on
Plant Health and have been published by the Commis-
sion (2).

(11) Article 4(2)(a) of Directive 90/642/EEC requires Member
States to specify the criteria applied in drawing up their
national
inspection programmes when sending to the
implementation
Commission information on their
during the following 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 Council Directive 93/99/EEC of 29
October 1993 on the subject of additional measures
concerning the official control of foodstuffs (3) 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:

Article 1

Member States are invited to take and analyse samples for the
product/pesticide residue combinations set out in Annex I, on
the basis of the number of samples of each product allocated to
them in Annex II,
appropriate, national,
reflecting as
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 should be subjected to individual analysis of the
individual units in the laboratory sample.

(1) Codex Alimentarius, Pesticide Residues in Foodstuffs, Rome 1994,

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

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

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

(2) Doc.

No

SANCO/3103/2000

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Two samples of an appropriate number of units should be
taken, where possible the produce of a single producer; if in
the first, laboratory sample a detectable level of the pesticide is
found, the units of the second sample should be analysed
individually. In 2002 this should include at least one of the
following combinations: aldicarb/potatoes, aldicarb/bananas,
oxydemeton-methyl/spinach,
and
phosmet/pears.

chlorpropham/potatoes

Article 2

Member States are invited to report the results for the part of
the specific exercise allocated for 2002 in Annex I by 31
indicating the analytical methods used and
August 2003,
in accordance with the quality
reporting levels achieved,
control procedures set out in the Quality Control Procedures
for Pesticide Residue Analysis.

The report should be produced in a format — including the
electronic format — conforming to the Working Document for
guidance to the Member States with regard to implementation
of Commission recommendations concerning coordinated
Community monitoring programmes, set out in Annex III to
Commission Recommendation 1999/333/EC (1).

Article 3

Member States are invited to send to the Commission and to
all other Member States, by 31 August 2002, all the informa-
tion as required by Article 7(3) of Directive 86/362/EEC and
Article 4(3) of Directive 90/642/EEC concerning the 2001
monitoring exercise to ensure, at least by check sampling,
compliance with maximum pesticide residue levels including:

(a) 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
relation to the national

levels in force;

(b) information on their laboratories quality control proced-
ures and, in particular, information concerning aspects of
the guidelines concerning Quality Control Procedures for
Pesticide Residue Analysis which they have not been able
to apply or have had difficulty in applying;

(c) 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;

(d) information about the proficiency tests and ring tests in

which the laboratory has participated.

Article 4

Member States are invited to send to the Commission, by 30
September 2002,
intended national programme for
monitoring maximum pesticide residue levels fixed by Direct-
ives 90/642/EEC and 86/362/EEC for the year 2003.

their

This Recommendation is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 27 December 2001.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 128, 21.5.1999, p. 25.

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

in Article 1 of

the

ANNEX I

Pesticide residue to be analysed for

2002

2003

2004

2005

Recommendation

Years (*)

Acephate (A)

Aldicarb (E)

Azinphos-methyl (D)

Azoxystrobin (D)

Benomyl group (A)

Bromopropylate (E)

Captan (D)

Chlorothalonil (D)

Chlorpyriphos (A)

Chlorpyriphos-methyl (C)

Cypermethrin (E)

Deltamethrin (C)

Diazinon (B)

Dichlofluanid (D)

Dicofol (D)

Dimethoate (D)

Endosulfan (C)

Folpet (D)

Imazalil (C)

Iprodione (A)

Lambda-cyhalothrin (C)

Malathion (D)

Maneb group (C)

Mecarbam (C)

Methamidophos (A)

Metalaxyl (B)

Methidathion (B)

Methiocarb (E)

Methomyl (E)

Omethoate (D)

Oxydemeton-methyl (D)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(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)

(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)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

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Pesticide residue to be analysed for

Years (*)

2002

2003

2004

2005

Parathion (E)

Permethrin (C)

Phorate (D)

Pirimiphos-methyl (C)

Procymidone (D)

Propyzamide (D)

Thiabendazole (B)

Tolylfluanid (E)

Triazophos (B)

Vinclozolin (C)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(b)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(c)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a) Pears, bananas, beans (fresh or frozen), potatoes, carrots, oranges/mandarines, peaches/nectarins, spinach (fresh or frozen).
(b) Cauliflower, peppers, wheat, aubergines, rice, cucumber, head cabbage, peas (fresh/frozen, withoud pod).
(c) Apples, tomatoes,

lettuce, grapes, strawberries,

leek, orange juice, rye/oats.

(*) Indicative for, 2003, 2004 and 2005, subject to programmes which will be recommended for these years.

ANNEX II

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

in the coordinated Community

monitoring programme for 2002

B

DK

D

EL

E

F

IRL

I

L

NL

A

P

FIN

S

UK

Total

12

12

93

12

45

66

12

65

12

17

12

12

12

12

66

460