If products from countries outside the European Union do not comply with the valid import regulations with regard to plant protection product residues, suppliers have the option of applying for exemptions.
In third countries, for various reasons, pesticides are also used that do not have EU approval or whose permissible maximum residue levels for an approved active substance differ from those in the EU. If the applicable EU MRLs cannot be complied with when importing products into the EU, a different import tolerance can be set at the request of the supplier. The determination is usually based on the MRLs applicable to the product in the country of origin. The temporary exemptions are only granted if, after examination of the application, a risk to consumers can be ruled out.
The EU Commission has published an overview of import tolerances granted so far (see web link). However, it is explicitly pointed out that this compilation is of a purely informative nature, is legally non-binding and the EU Commission declines any responsibility or liability for errors or inadequacies in the overview table. Only the publications in the Official Journal of the European Union are legally binding.
YOUR PLUS: Our food chemists also take these exemptions into account when assessing plant protection product findings, if they have the necessary information on the product and its origin when placing the order.
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Author: Frank Mörsberger