Recommendation of the EFTA Surveillance Authority of 5 March 2002 concerning a coordinated monitoring programme for 2002 to ensure compliance with maximum levels of pesticide residues in and on cereals and certain other products of plant origin
Date: 2002-03-05
Institutions: EFTA Surveillance Authority
Subjects: cereals, crop production, fruit, pesticide residue, plant health control, vegetable

12.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 216/9

RECOMMENDATION OF THE EFTA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY

of 5 March 2002

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

(2002/C 216/06)

THE EFTA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY,

HAVING REGARD to the Agreement on the European Economic
Area, in particular Article 109 and Protocol 1 thereof,

HAVING REGARD to the Agreement between the EFTA States on
the establishment of a Surveillance Authority and a Court of
Justice, in particular Article 5(2)(b) and Protocol 1 thereof,

to the EEA Agreement

HAVING REGARD to the Act added in point 38 in Chapter XII
of Annex II
(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, in particular Article 7(2)(b) thereof,

to the EEA Agreement

HAVING REGARD to the Act added in point 54 in Chapter XII
of Annex II
(Council Directive
fixing of
90/642/EEC of 27 November 1990 on the
maximum levels for pesticide residues in and on certain
products of plant origin, including fruit and vegetables (2)), as
last amended, in particular Article 4(2)(b) thereof,

AFTER CONSULTING the EFTA Foodstuffs Committee assisting
the EFTA Surveillance Authority,

WHEREAS:

(1) Article 7(2)(b) of Directive 86/362/EEC and Article 4(2)(b)
of Directive 90/642/EEC require the EFTA Surveillance
Authority, by 31 December each year, to submit to the
EFTA Foodstuffs Committee,
EFTA
Surveillance Authority, a Recommendation setting out a
coordinated monitoring programme to ensure compliance
for maximum levels of pesticide residues set out in the
Annexes
said Directives. Article 1(1) of
Commission Regulation (EC) No 645/2000 (3) provides
that
such recommendations may cover periods of
between one and five years.

assisting

to the

the

II

(2) The EFTA Surveillance Authority should progressively
work towards a system which would permit
the esti-
mation 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 moni-
food
toring of residues of pesticides in a number of
of
products, which

constitute major

components

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

In view of

the
European diets, should be available.
resources available at national level for pesticide residue
monitoring,
the EFTA States are only able to analyse
samples of eight products each year within a coordinated
monitoring programme. Pesticide uses
show changes
within a five years rolling programme timescale. Each
pesticide should thus generally be monitored in 20-30
food products over a series of three-year cycles.

(3) The EFTA States should adopt continuous monitoring
recognition of

methods,
the
these
changes in the occurrence of pesticides.

facilitate

since

(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 estimation of actual
dietary exposure
compounds
(identified as Group A in the Annex) have already been
monitored between 1996 and 2001.

to them,

these

since

thiabendazole

(5) Residues of the pesticides diazinon, metalaxyl, methid-
athion,
be
and
monitored between 2002 and 2005, as this will allow
examination of the feasibility of using these pesticides
for estimation of actual dietary exposure to them, since
these compounds (identified as Group B in the Annex)
have already been monitored between 1997 and 2001.

triazophos

should

(6) Residues of

imazalil,

lambda-cyhalothrin,

the pesticides chlorpyriphos-methyl, delta-
the
methrin, endosulfan,
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 estimation of actual dietary
exposure to them, since these compounds (identified as
Group C in the Annex) have already been monitored
between 1998 and 2001.

(7) Residues of

omethoate,

the pesticides

azinphos-methyl,

oxydemeton-methyl,

captan,
chlorothalonil, dichlofluanid, dicofol, dimethoate, folpet,
malathion,
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 estimation of actual dietary exposure to them, since
these compounds (identified as Group D in the Annex)
have already been monitored in 2001.

C 216/10

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

12.9.2002

(8) Residues of

the pesticides aldicarb, bromopropylate,
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 estimation of actual dietary
exposure to them, since these compounds (identified as
Group E in the Annex) will be monitored in 2002.

(9) A systematic statistical approach to numbers of samples
to be taken in each coordinated monitoring exercise is
necessary. The Commission of the Codex Alimentarius
has set out such an approach (1). Based on a binomial
probability distribution it can be calculated that exam-
ination of 459 samples gives a 99 % confidence of
detecting one sample containing pesticide residues above
the limit of detection (LOD) where 1 % of products of
plant origin contain residues above the LOD. At least
459 samples
the
European Economic Area. For the EFTA States it is recom-
mended, on the basis of population and consumer
numbers,
to take a minimum of 12 samples per
product and per year.

should therefore be taken across

(10) Draft guidelines concerning quality control procedures for
pesticide residue analysis have been discussed by the
experts of the EC 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 EC Member States and should be reviewed in the light
of this experience. The guidelines were again discussed
and revised by the experts of the EC Member States at
Athens, Greece on 15 to 17 November 1999. The revised
guidelines
Standing
Committee on Plant Health and have been published by
the Commission (2).

submitted

been

have

the

to

(11) Article 7(2)(a) of Directive 86/362/EEC and Article 4(2)(a)
of Directive 90/642/EEC require the EFTA States to
specify the criteria applied in drawing up their national
inspection programmes when sending to the EFTA
Surveillance Authority information on their implemen-
tation 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 Directive 93/99/EEC of 29
October 1993 on the subject of additional measures
concerning the official control of foodstuffs (3) of the labo-
ratories 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

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

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

(2) Document No SANCO/3103/2000

the EC Member States to the Commission. The EFTA
States could use the same format and should therefore
be able to send their reports to the EFTA Surveillance
Authority in the standard format. The further devel-
opment of such a standard format is most effectively
undertaken by the development of guidelines,

HEREBY RECOMMENDS THE EFTA STATES TO:

1. Sample and analyse for the product/pesticide residue combi-
nations set out
in the Annex to this Recommendation,
taking a minimum of 12 samples of each product and
reflecting as appropriate, national, EEA and third country
share of the EFTA 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 individual units in the
laboratory sample: 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,
oxydemeton-methyl/
spinach, chlorpropham/potatoes and phosmet/pears.

aldicarb/bananas,

2. By 31 August 2003, report the results for the part of the
specific exercise allocated for 2002 in the Annex, indicating
the analytical methods used and reporting levels achieved,
in accordance with the quality control procedures set out in
for Pesticide Residue
the Quality Control Procedures
Analysis. The report should be produced in a format,
including the electronic format, as set out in Annexes II
and III to the Recommendation of the EFTA Surveillance
Authority for the year 1999 (4).

3. By 31 August 2002,

send to the EFTA Surveillance
Authority and to the EFTA 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 2001
monitoring exercise to ensure, at least by check sampling,
compliance with maximum pesticide
levels
including:

residue

listed in the Annexes

their national programmes concerning
(1) the results of
pesticides
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,
levels in
force;

in relation to the national

(2) information on their

in particular,

laboratories quality

control
information concerning
procedures and,
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;

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

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

(4) OJ L 74, 23.3.2000, Annex II (Quality control procedures) p. 25

and Annex III (Working document/reporting format) p. 38.

12.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 216/11

(3) information on accreditation in accordance with the
provisions 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 in

which the laboratory has participated.

This Recommendation is addressed to Iceland, Liechtenstein
and Norway.

Done at Brussels on 5 March 2002.

For the EFTA Surveillance Authority.

4. By 30 September 2002, send to the EFTA Surveillance
Authority their intended national programme for moni-
toring maximum pesticide residue levels fixed by Directives
90/642/EEC and 86/362/EEC for the year 2003.

Bernd HAMMERMANN

College Member

Peter DYRBERG

Director

ANNEX

Pesticide/product combinations to be monitored in the specific exercise set out in point 1 of the Recom-
mendation

Pesticide residue to be analysed for

Years (1)

2002

2003

2004

2005

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)

(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)

(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)

C 216/12

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

12.9.2002

Pesticide residue to be analysed for

Years (1)

2002

2003

2004

2005

Metalaxyl (B)

Methidathion (B)

Methiocarb (E)

Methomyl (E)

Omethoate (D)

Oxydemeton-methyl (D)

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)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(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)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(1) Indicative for 2003, 2004 and 2005, subject to programmes which will be recommended for these years.
(a) Pears, bananas, beans (fresh or frozen), potatoes, carrots, oranges/mandarines, peaches/nectarines, spinach (fresh or frozen).
(b) Cauliflower, peppers, wheat, aubergines, rice, cucumber, head cabbage, peas (fresh/frozen, without pod).
(c) Apples, tomatoes, lettuce, grapes, strawberries, leek, orange juice, rye/oats.