2004/25/EC: Commission Decision of 22 December 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) 4961)
Date: 2003-12-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: analytical chemistry, animal product, foodstuffs legislation, research method, veterinary drug

L 6/38

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

10.1.2004

COMMISSION DECISION

of 22 December 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) 4961)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2004/25/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), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 806/
2003 (2), and in particular the second subparagraph of Article
15(1) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

The presence of residues in products of animal origin is
a matter of concern for public health. Commission Deci-
sion 2002/657/EC of 12 August 2002 implementing
Council Directive 96/23/EC concerning the performance
of analytical methods and the interpretation of results (3),
as amended by Decision 2003/181/EC (4), provides for a
procedure to progressively establish minimum required
analytical methods
performance
(MRPLs) of
employed to detect
is not
authorised or is specifically prohibited in the Com-
munity.

substances whose use

limits

As a result of the detection of residues from the pharma-
cologically active substance malachite green whose use
in veterinary medicinal products for food producing
animals is not authorised in the Community, and its
metabolite leucomalachite green in aquaculture products,
the level
for harmonised MRPL for that
substance has been agreed in consultation with the Com-
munity Reference Laboratories, the National Reference
Laboratories and the Member States.

to be set

(4)

(5)

Decision 2002/657/EC should therefore be amended
accordingly.

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Decision 2002/657/EC is amended as follows:

1. Article 4 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 4

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;

(d) malachite green.’;

2. Annex II to Decision 2002/657/EC, is amended as set out in

the Annex to this Decision.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 2

Done at Brussels, 22 December 2003.

(3)

It
is necessary to provide harmonised levels for the
control of that substance to ensure the same level of
consumer protection in the Community.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 125, 23.5.1996, p. 10.
(2) OJ L 122, 16.5.2003, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 221, 17.8.2002, p. 8.
(4) OJ L 71, 15.3.2003, p. 17.

10.1.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 6/39

Commission Decision 2002/657/EC is amended as follows:

In Annex II, the following row is added:

ANNEX

‘Substance and/or metabolite

Matrixes

Sum of malachite green and leucomalachite
green

Meat of aquaculture products

MRPL

2 µg/kg’