Update on EU plans to reduce MRLs for copper on agricultural commodities - postponed
Referring to our earlier email GN/2025/188 informing that the EU is proposing to amend the maximum residue levels for copper on cereals, pulses, oilseeds spices etc. Also noting Gafta and GPC sent a letter calling for more time to collect data to investigate impact of reduced MRLs on cereals, oilseeds and pulses. The update from the EU regulatory committee discussions is that these letters were discussed in the regulatory committee, and it was decided to go ahead with a proposed draft Regulation raising copper MRLs, where necessary, but to postpone the lowering of any MRLs at this stage until more robust levels can be derived. Member States were invited to send their comments. The Committee noted that EFSA had been mandated to issue a technical report detailing the methodology for the consumer safety risk assessment to be used in the ongoing renewal of approval procedure, in authorising PPPs and in MRL applications. The technical report is expected for March 2026, and a public consultation will be launched around November or December 2025.
Gafta members have informed that levels for rapeseed/canola and wheat are the most problematic. Gafta would encourage members to collect and make available data to use to advocate against a further reduction of MRLs. Please reach out to junearnold@gafta.com for any further information.
Extract from the regulatory committee meeting:
The Commission informed the Committee that no new version of the draft Regulation updating MRLs for copper had been shared. The draft Regulation is based on the recent EFSA statement updating the review of MRLs for copper under Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 396/200521 . The draft Regulations aims to align the outdated MRLs with current authorised uses of copper as a pesticide and background levels of copper coming from the environment or from other authorised non-pesticidal uses, such as uses as feed additives or as food/feed supplements. The MRLs are proposed to be set at the highest level between the levels of copper derived from pesticide use (based on residue trials) and background levels of copper that take into account also natural occurrence and non-pesticidal uses (based on monitoring data collected by Member States and aggregated at EU level).
The Committee discussed several letters received from various stakeholders representing farmers and trade associations, regarding the lowering of MRLs for various commodities including oilseeds, cereals, legume vegetables, fruits. The stakeholders provided their own monitoring data and shared concerns that the lowering of these MRLs would disrupt trade whereas no health concerns were identified. They highlighted the need for further data collection to improve the robustness of MRLs derived from monitoring data.
The Committee discussed the possibility to go ahead with a proposed draft Regulation raising copper MRLs, where necessary, but to postpone the lowering of any MRLs at this stage until more robust levels can be derived. Member States were invited to send their comments by 10 October 2025. The Committee noted that EFSA had been mandated to issue a technical report detailing the methodology for the consumer safety risk assessment to be used in the ongoing renewal of approval procedure, in authorising PPPs and in MRL applications. The technical report is expected for March 2026, and a public consultation will be launched around November or December 2025.
Gafta will keep members updated.
Referring to our earlier email GN/2025/188 informing that the EU is proposing to amend the maximum residue levels for copper on cereals, pulses, oilseeds spices etc. Also noting Gafta and GPC sent a letter calling for more time to collect data to investigate impact of reduced MRLs on cereals, oilseeds and pulses. The update from the EU regulatory committee discussions is that these letters were discussed in the regulatory committee, and it was decided to go ahead with a proposed draft Regulation raising copper MRLs, where necessary, but to postpone the lowering of any MRLs at this stage until more robust levels can be derived. Member States were invited to send their comments. The Committee noted that EFSA had been mandated to issue a technical report detailing the methodology for the consumer safety risk assessment to be used in the ongoing renewal of approval procedure, in authorising PPPs and in MRL applications. The technical report is expected for March 2026, and a public consultation will be launched around November or December 2025.
Gafta members have informed that levels for rapeseed/canola and wheat are the most problematic. Gafta would encourage members to collect and make available data to use to advocate against a further reduction of MRLs. Please reach out to junearnold@gafta.com for any further information.
Extract from the regulatory committee meeting:
The Commission informed the Committee that no new version of the draft Regulation updating MRLs for copper had been shared. The draft Regulation is based on the recent EFSA statement updating the review of MRLs for copper under Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 396/200521 . The draft Regulations aims to align the outdated MRLs with current authorised uses of copper as a pesticide and background levels of copper coming from the environment or from other authorised non-pesticidal uses, such as uses as feed additives or as food/feed supplements. The MRLs are proposed to be set at the highest level between the levels of copper derived from pesticide use (based on residue trials) and background levels of copper that take into account also natural occurrence and non-pesticidal uses (based on monitoring data collected by Member States and aggregated at EU level).
The Committee discussed several letters received from various stakeholders representing farmers and trade associations, regarding the lowering of MRLs for various commodities including oilseeds, cereals, legume vegetables, fruits. The stakeholders provided their own monitoring data and shared concerns that the lowering of these MRLs would disrupt trade whereas no health concerns were identified. They highlighted the need for further data collection to improve the robustness of MRLs derived from monitoring data.
The Committee discussed the possibility to go ahead with a proposed draft Regulation raising copper MRLs, where necessary, but to postpone the lowering of any MRLs at this stage until more robust levels can be derived. Member States were invited to send their comments by 10 October 2025. The Committee noted that EFSA had been mandated to issue a technical report detailing the methodology for the consumer safety risk assessment to be used in the ongoing renewal of approval procedure, in authorising PPPs and in MRL applications. The technical report is expected for March 2026, and a public consultation will be launched around November or December 2025.
Gafta will keep members updated.
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