Seminar on Doing Business with the EU;
New EU Legislation on Pesticide Residues in Fruit and Vegetables
Date: Thursday 26th March 2009. Venue: Four Seasons Bangkok Hotel
Time: 9.00-17.00 hrs.

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Objectives of the seminar:

1. To disseminate information of the new EU Regulation (396/2005) on Pesticide Residues among Thai farmers, traders, and other relevant stakeholders
2. To explain the legislation on the placing on the EU market of Plant Protection Products (Directive 91/414/EEC).
3. To explain EU requirements for importing fruit and vegetables from third countries.
4. To discuss implications of the new EU Regulation on Pesticide Residues to current production of Thai fruit and vegetables exports.
5. To provide a forum for exchanging views among stakeholders

Background

Consumers are unknowingly exposed to different types of pesticides as residues can be found on harvested crops. Before 1st September 2008 rules for pesticide residues in the EU are complex and differ from one Member State to the others. Traders and importers had to deal with 27 lists of national MRLs (Maximum Residue Level) led to confusion about which MRL they had to respect. This confusion also created concerns among consumers about safety of pesticide residues in cases where food exceeding the MRL in one Member State would be acceptable in other Member States. To cope with such burden, the European Commission adopted a new Regulation, which came into force from September 2008 onwards, to lay down revised rules for pesticide residues and harmonise MRL at the EU level. The Regulation covers all agricultural products intended for food or animal feed as well as around 1,100 pesticides currently or formerly used in agriculture in or outside the EU. Recognising the importance of disseminating information about this new Regulation to relevant stakeholders in Thailand, The Business Information Centre of the Delegation of the European Commission to Thailand, Department of Agriculture and the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards jointly organise a one-day seminar to explain provisions of the new Regulation as well as to provide a forum for exchanging information on the issue.

Why were new rules needed?

The rules applicable before 1 September 2008 were complex. For some pesticides, the European Commission would set Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), for others, EU Member states were responsible. For some pesticides, the Commission could set MRLs led to confusion about which MRL, but the Member states could fix higher MRLs. And for some pesticides, no MRLs were set at all.

For traders and importers, having to deal with 27 lists of national MRLs let to confusion about which MRL they had to respect. For consumers, the confusion led to concerns about the safety of pesticide residues in particular in cases where food exceeding the MRL in one Member State would be acceptable in other Member States.