2003/181/EC: Commission Decision of 13 March 2003 amending Decision 2002/657/EC as regards the setting of minimum required performance limits (MRPLs) for certain residues in food of animal origin (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2003) 764)
Date: 2003-03-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: animal product, evaluation method, qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis, research body, veterinary legislation

15.3.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 71/17

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 13 March 2003

amending Decision 2002/657/EC as regards the setting of minimum required performance limits
(MRPLs) for certain residues in food of animal origin

(notified under document number C(2003) 764)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2003/181/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 96/23/EC of 29 April 1996
on measures to monitor certain substances and residues thereof
in live animals and animal products and repealing Directives
85/358/EEC and 86/469/EEC and Decisions 89/187/EEC and
91/664/EEC (1), and in particular the second subparagraph of
Article 15(1) thereof,

(5)

(6)

It
is necessary to provide harmonised levels for the
control of these substances to ensure the same level of
the Community.
consumer protection throughout
Commission Decision 2002/657/EC (2) should therefore
be amended accordingly.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accor-
dance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on
the Food Chain and Animal Health,

Whereas:

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

The presence of residues in products of animal origin is
a matter of concern for public health.

Article 1

It is necessary to provide for the progressive establish-
ment of minimum required performance limits (MRPLs)
of analytical methods for substances for which no
permitted limit has been established and in particular for
those substances whose use is not authorised or specifi-
cally prohibited in the Community, in order to ensure
harmonised implementation of Directive 96/23/EC.

As a result of the detection of chloramphenicol, nitro-
furans and medroxyprogesterone acetate in food of
animal origin, the level to be set for harmonised MRPLs
for these substances has been agreed in consultation
with the Community Reference Laboratories, national
reference laboratories and Member States.

the above
the administration of one of
However,
substances for zootechnical purposes continues to be
authorised under the strict conditions laid down in
Directive 96/22/EC, Article 5.

Decision 2002/657/EC is amended as follows:

1.

in Article 2, ‘Annex’ is replaced by ‘Annex I’;

2.

in Article 3(b) and (c), ‘Annex’ is replaced by ‘Annex I’;

3. Article 4 is replaced by the following:

‘Member States shall ensure that the analytical methods used
for detecting the following substances meet the minimum
required performance limits (MRPLs) set out in Annex II,
against the matrixes referred to in that Annex:

(a) chloramphenicol;

(b) nitrofuran metabolites;

(c) medroxyprogesterone.’

4. The text in the Annex to this Decision is added as an Annex

II.

(1) OJ L 125, 23.5.1996, p. 10.

(2) OJ L 221, 17.8.2002, p. 8.

L 71/18

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

15.3.2003

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 2

Done at Brussels, 13 March 2003.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

MRPL

0,3 µg/kg

1 µg/kg

1 µg/kg for all

ANNEX

‘ANNEX II

Minimum required performance limits

Substance and/or metabolite

Matrixes

Chloramphenicol

Meat

Eggs

Milk

Urine

Aquaculture products

Honey

Medroxyprogesterone acetate

Pig kidney fat

Nitrofuran metabolites:

— furazolidone

— furaltadone

— nitrofurantoin

— nitrofurazone’

Poultry meat

Aquaculture products