Notifications for European Union (1104 notifications)

The Regulation aligns the treatments required for entry into and transit through the Union of dairy products contained in certain composite products and clarifies some other requirements for the entry into and transit through the Union of those products in the relevant model certificates.

The proposal notified in G/SPS/N/EU/513 (28 October 2021) is now adopted by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1203 of 12 July 2022 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1141 to update the list of invasive alien species of Union concern [OJ L 186, 13 July 2022, p. 10].This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The proposed draft Regulation concerns the review of existing MRLs for abamectin. MRLs for these substances in certain commodities are changed: either increased or lowered. Lower MRLs are set after updating the limits of determination and/or deleting old uses which are not authorised any more in the European Union or for which a human health concern may not be excluded.

The draft lays down the conditions for live animals, products of animal origin, composite products and sprouted seeds entering the Union from third countries are to respect, to ensure that they comply with the relevant public health requirements established by the Union legislation or with requirements recognized to be equivalent thereto. The draft merges current provisions in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/625 and Article 29 of Council Directive 96/23/EC (residue monitoring plan).

The draft Regulation establishes maximum levels for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and for the sum of PFOS, PFOA, PFNA and PFHxS in eggs, fish meat, crustaceans, bivalve molluscs, meat and edible offal of terrestrial animals.

The proposed draft Regulation concerns the update of existing MRLs for benalaxyl, bromoxynil, chlorsulfuron, epoxiconazole and fenamiphos in certain food commodities. MRLs for these substances in certain commodities are changed. Lower MRLs are set after updating the limits of determination and/or deleting old uses which are not authorized any more in the European Union or for which a human health concern may not be excluded.

The measure concerns a change in the conditions of use, the specific labelling requirements and specifications of the novel food Calanus finmarchicus oil.

The proposal notified in G/SPS/N/EU/543 (7 February 2022) is now adopted by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/931 of 23 March 2022 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council by laying down rules for the performance of official controls as regards contaminants in food (Text with EEA relevance) [OJ L 162, 17 June 2022, p. 7].The Regulation shall apply from 1 January 2023.

The proposal notified in G/SPS/N/EU/544 (7 February 2022) is now adopted by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/932 of 9 June 2022 on uniform practical arrangements for the performance of official controls as regards contaminants in food, on specific additional content of multi-annual national control plans and specific additional arrangements for their preparation (Text with EEA relevance) [OJ L 162, 17 June 2022, p. 13].The Regulation shall apply from 1 January 2023.

The proposed draft Regulation concerns the review of existing MRLs for 1-methyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamide, cycloxydim, cyflumetofen, cyfluthrin, metobromuron and penthiopyrad in certain food commodities. MRLs for these substances in certain commodities are changed: either increased or lowered. Lower MRLs are set after updating the limits of determination and/or deleting old uses which are not authorised any more in the European Union or for which a human health concern may not be excluded. The residue definition for some substances has also been updated.

The proposal notified in G/SPS/N/EU/545 (10 February 2022) is now adopted by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/959 of 16 June 2022 amending Annex VII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 as regards requirements for the introduction into the Union of certain fruits of Capsicum (L.), Citrus L., Citrus sinensis Pers., Prunus persica (L.) Batsch and Punica granatum L. [OJ L 165, 21 June 2022, p. 30].The Regulation shall apply from 14 July 2022.

Official controls must be performed by the competent authorities regularly, on a risk basis and with appropriate frequency. The provisions on residue monitoring plans according to Directive 96/23/EC are repealed by the Official Controls Regulation (EU) 2017/625 by 14 December 2022. The current system is to be maintained and aligned to a more risk-based approach, while still ensuring a sufficient sampling frequency. This draft implementing act set out the general requirements of the content of the national control plans for pharmacologically active substances authorised as veterinary medicinal products or as feed additives and of prohibited or unauthorised pharmacologically active substances and residues thereof in food-producing animals and food of animal origin regarding minimum sampling frequencies and additional arrangements (submission of the plans and gathered data), while leaving the risk-based design up to the Member States, in line with the general approach of the Official Controls Regulation (EU) 2017/625.This draft Regulation is interlinked with the draft Commission Delegated Regulation (notification G/SPS/N/EU/571) which sets out specific requirements such as sampling frequency, range of samples and stage of production, processing and distribution where the samples are to be taken and criteria to be taken into account for the design of the control plans.

Official controls must be performed by the competent authorities regularly, on a risk basis and with appropriate frequency. This draft delegated Regulation provides additional requirements (based on Article 19(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625) to those laid down in a related draft implementing Regulation (notification G/SPS/N/EU/572). This draft delegated act lays down rules on specific requirements for the performance of official controls in the production process of animals and targeted towards primary products of animal origin, on the use of pharmacologically active substances, authorized as veterinary medicinal products or feed additives, and on the use of prohibited or unauthorized pharmacologically active substances, and on the residues of such substances, regarding combination of substance groups and commodities groups, and relevant criteria to be considered for sampling strategy

Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 lays down rules concerning the temporary increase of official controls upon entry into the Union on certain food and feed of non-animal origin from certain third countries (in Annex I); special import conditions for certain food and feed from certain third countries due to the contamination risk by mycotoxins, including aflatoxins, pesticide residues, pentachlorophenol and dioxins and microbiological contamination (in Annex II - increased official border controls and official certificate accompanied by the results of sampling and analysis in the third country).This Implementing Regulation amends Annexes I and II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 by introducing the following changes:1.         Modification of measures/ new measures:·         Inclusion in Annex I of oranges from Egypt due to risk of contamination by pesticide residues;·         Delisting from Annex I and inclusion in Annex II of palm oil from Ghana;·         Inclusion in Annex I of rice from India and Pakistan due to risk of contamination by pesticide residues, extension of CN codes for possible contamination with aflatoxins and ochratoxine A and setting of 5% of identity and physical checks for these commodities;·         Inclusion in Annex I of Yardlong beans and guava from India due to risk of contamination by pesticide residues;·         Lifting of special import conditions for nutmeg from India by delisting from Annex II and inclusion in Annex I;·         Increase in the frequency of identity and physical checks laid down in Annex I for hazelnuts from Georgia and for peppers of the genus Capsicum (other than sweet) from Thailand and in Annex II for nutmeg from Indonesia.2.         Technical adjustments to existing measures:·         CN codes 2008 19 13 40 and 2008 19 93 40 from entries concerning groundnuts from Argentina in Annex I and from Egypt, The Gambia, Ghana, India and Sudan in Annex II are deleted;·         CN code ex 0807 19 00 70 in the entry on galia melon (C. melo var. reticulatus) from Honduras, CN code ex 0709 99 90 25 in the entry on gotukola (Centella asiatica) from Sri Lanka and CN code 1211 90 86 10 from entry of curry leaves from Türkiye in Annex I is deleted;·         Inclusion in Annex II of the category ‘Mixtures of food additives containing locust bean gum or guar gum’ and relevant CN codes to extend the scope of the entries concerning locust beans and guar gum from India and of the category ‘Mixtures of food additives containing locust bean gum’ and relevant CN codes to extend the scope of the entries concerning locust beans from Malaysia and Türkiye;·         Specification that only ‘dried species’ from India are subject of increased identity and physical checks laid down in Annex II;·         Clarification for instant noodles from South Korea and Viet Nam - specification of descriptions of the commodity in Annex II.In addition, this Implementing Regulation amends Article 1 regarding consignments of commodities to which Regulation does not apply, Article 2 in relation to definition of consignment and Article 14 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 regarding the transitional period.

The proposal notified in G/SPS/N/EU/535 (5 January 2022) is now adopted by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/893 of 7 June 2022 amending Annex VI to Regulation (EC) No 152/2009 as regards the methods of analysis for the detection of constituents of terrestrial invertebrates for the official control of feed (Text with EEA relevance) [OJ L 155, 8 June 2022, p. 24].This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The Regulation clarifies in the relevant model animal health/official certificates for the entry into the Union of raw milk and certain dairy products the animal health requirements for the entry into the Union of those products when obtained from raw milk of different origins.

The proposal sets, in the interest of legal certainty, a maximum level for the use of ascorbic acid (E 300), sodium ascorbate (E 301) and calcium ascorbate (E302) which applies only for tuna in food categories 09.1.1 "Unprocessed fish" and 09.2 "Processed fish and fishery products including molluscs and crustaceans" in Part E of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. The use of those food additives in tuna intended for canning in high amounts to artificially restore the colour of fresh tuna flesh does not comply with the general conditions for inclusion and use of food additives in the Union list and with the quantum satis principle. On the basis of the information provided by the industry to the European Food Safety Authority in view of the re-evaluation of the safety of the food additives and official controls carried out by some competent authorities, a maximum level of 300 mg/kg is considered appropriate. The maximum level allows to maintain the current levels of legitimate use following good manufacturing practices.

Update of the current EU phytosanitary measures for Anoplophora chinensis, including the import requirements, strengthened surveillance and update of the list of host plants.

The draft Regulation lowers the existing maximum level for inorganic arsenic in non-parboiled milled rice (polished or white rice), for which currently already an EU ML is established under Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006, and it establishes new maximum levels for inorganic arsenic in rice flour, rice-based drinks, fish, crustaceans, bivalve molluscs, food for infants and young children, fruit juices, concentrated fruit juices and nectars and salt.

This draft Commission Implementing Regulation provides that the approval conditions of the active substance penflufen are amended in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 based on the absence of submission of the confirmatory data as requested in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1031/2013 of 24 October 2013, approving the active substance penflufen for use in the European Union. Existing authorized plant protection products containing penflufen will be reviewed in accordance with the restriction set in this act.This decision only concerns the placing on the market of this substance and plant protection products containing it. Following non-approval and the expiry of all grace periods for stocks of products containing this substance, separate action will likely be taken on MRLs and a separate notification will be made in accordance with SPS procedures.This draft Commission Implementing Regulation was also notified under the TBT Agreement in notice G/TBT/N/EU/890.