Pesticides: No residues of EU-banned products in imported food

EU citizens must be protected from pesticide residues in imported products

MEPs demand same standards for imported products to ensure a level playing field

The Commission must now withdraw its proposals

Two Commission decisions to allow residue levels of several pesticides banned in the EU in imported food were voted down today by Parliament.

Parliament today rejected two Commission decisions allowing import tolerances (also known as maximum residue levels) for cyproconazole and spirodiclofen in or on a large quantity of products such as cereals, seeds, meat, liver and kidney as well as for benomyl, carbendazim and thiophanate‐methyl in or on certain products such as lemons, limes, mandarins, and okra/lady’s fingers. The use of all these pesticides are all already banned in the EU.

The accompanying resolutions stress that agri-products imported from non-EU countries must follow the same standards as products produced in the EU to ensure a level playing field. Allowing higher maximum residue levels for imports would also jeopardise citizens’ health in Europe and in the producing countries.

522 MEPs voted in favour of the objection to the Commission’s decision concerning cyproconazole and spirodiclofen, 127 against and 28 abstained.

For benomyl, carbendazim and thiophanate‐methyl, 516 MEPs voted in favour of the objection, 129 against and 27 abstained.

An absolute majority of at least 359 MEPs was needed to reject the Commission’s decisions.

Next steps

The Commission must now withdraw its proposals. MEPs call on the Commission to submit a new draft lowering all maximum residue levels to the limit of determination (the lowest amount at which it can be detected) or the default value of 0,01 mg/kg for all uses and to refuse any requests for import tolerances.