Pesticides: coordinated multiannual control programme of pesticides

The Commission published an Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/731 concerning a coordinated multiannual control programme of the Union for 2024, 2025 and 2026 to ensure compliance with maximum residue levels of pesticides and to assess the consumer exposure to pesticide residues in and on food of plant and animal origin and repealing Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/741.

1. The lot to be sampled shall be chosen randomly. The sampling procedure, including the number of units, shall comply with Directive 2002/63/EC.

2. All samples, including those of foods intended for infants and young children and products originating from organic farming, shall be analysed for the pesticides referred to in Annex I to this Regulation in accordance with the residue definitions set out in Regulation (EC) No 396/2005.

3. For foods intended for infants and young children, samples shall be evaluated on the products as proposed ready for consumption or as reconstituted according to the instructions of the manufacturers, taking into account the maximum residue levels set out in Directive 2006/125/EC and Delegated Regulations (EU) 2016/127 and (EU) 2016/128. Where such foods can be consumed both as sold and as reconstituted, the results shall be reported on the product as sold.

Member States shall submit the results of the analysis of samples tested in 2024, 2025 and 2026 by 31 August 2025, 2026 and 2027 respectively in the electronic reporting format as set out by the Authority.

Where the residue definition of a pesticide includes more than one compound (active substance and/or metabolite or breakdown or reaction product), Member States shall report the analysis results in accordance with the full residue definition. The results of all analytes that are part of the residue definition shall be submitted separately, as far as they are measured individually.

This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 2024. However, as regards samples tested in 2023, it shall continue to apply until 1 September 2024.

More information: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L_.2023.095.01.0028.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2023%3A095%3ATOC

Contact: ksaari@frucom.eu