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MRLs are defined as the maximum concentration of pesticide residue,expressed as milligrams of residue per kilogramme of food, likelyto occur in or on food after the use of pesticides. For activesubstances for which no MRL is included in the Regulation, adefault MRL of 0.01mg/kg will apply.
Legal challenge
Natuur en Milieu and Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe, anumbrella group of European health and environmental organisations,have lodged an appeal at the Court of First Instance to force the Commission to review the legislation.
Elliot Cannell, Coordinator, PAN Europe toldFoodProductionDaily.com that the Commission has failed to deliveron its obligation to set legal limits at the lowest achievablelevel as agreed in Regulation 396/2005.
"For each pesticide, the Commission identified the countrywith the worst safety limit and then sought to adopt this level asthe new EU-wide standard," he said.
The spokesperson for Natuur et Mileu, Hans Muilerman said thatthere was also no consideration of the cumulative effects thatpesticides have on human health.
Cannell expects the court to issue an opinion on the appeal inearly 2009.
Last week, Greenpeace and Global 2000 published a joint analysis ofthe 170,000 residue limits under the new legislation and they claimthat several hundred of the new MRLs are unsafe, in particular forthe consumption of apples, pears, grapes, tomatoes and peppers bychildren.