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In accordance with Article 43 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the European Commission requested EFSA to assess whether existing maximum residue levels (MRLs) based on codex maximum residue limits (CXLs) and import tolerances for thiacloprid are safe for consumers in light of the lowered toxicological acute reference value established following the non‐renewal of approval of the active substance thiacloprid. Based on the assessment, EFSA identified a potential acute concern for the CXL on peaches and sweet peppers. EFSA did not identify a consumer health risk for all the other remaining commodities of plant and animal origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the applicant Agro‐Kanesho submitted a request to the competent national authority in Germany to modify the existing maximum residue level (MRL) for the active substance acequinocyl in sweet peppers/bell peppers. The data submitted in support of the request were found to be sufficient to derive MRL proposal for peppers. Adequate analytical methods for enforcement are available to control the residues of acequinocyl in peppers at the validated limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.01 mg/kg. Based on the risk assessment results, EFSA concluded that the short‐term and long‐term intake of residues resulting from the use of acequinocyl according to the reported agricultural practice is unlikely to present a risk to consumer health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the applicant Bayer CropScience submitted two applications to the competent national authorities appointed in the United Kingdom and Greece to modify the existing maximum residue levels (MRLs) for the active substance trifloxystrobin in various crops and in sweet peppers/bell peppers, respectively. Moreover, in the application submitted to the United Kingdom, the applicant also included a request to evaluate the confirmatory data identified in the framework of the MRL review under Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 as not available. In the framework of the assessment process, these applications were re‐allocated to the Netherlands. The data submitted in support of the requests were found to be sufficient to derive MRL proposals for sweet peppers/bell peppers, kales, escaroles, herbs and edible flowers, beans with pods, oat and chicory roots. Since the data gaps identified in the MRL review were not addressed, risk managers might consider lowering the tentative MRLs in passion fruits/maracujas and leafy brassica other than kales to the limit of quantification (LOQ), and the implementation of the Codex MRL (CXL) in the EU legislation for cucumbers and gherkins. The new intended use on witloof/Belgian endives was not adequately supported by residue data and therefore an MRL proposal cannot be derived. Adequate analytical methods for enforcement are available to control the residues of trifloxystrobin on the commodities under consideration. Based on the results of the risk assessment performed, considering the exposure to residues of trifloxystrobin and its metabolites CGA 321113 (apart for passion fruits), EFSA concluded that the short‐term and long‐term intake of residues resulting from the uses of trifloxystrobin under consideration is unlikely to present a risk to consumer health, except for escaroles. For the intended indoor use on escaroles, a risk from short‐term intake cannot be excluded, hence a modification of the existing EU MRL is not proposed for this commodity. The consumer risk assessment shall be regarded as indicative and affected by uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the applicant Cheminova A/S submitted a request to the competent national authority in Spain to modify the existing maximum residue levels (MRLs) for the active substance acrinathrin in peaches and sweet peppers. The data submitted in support of the request were found sufficient to derive MRL proposals for both crops. Adequate analytical methods for enforcement are available to control the residues of acrinathrin and its enantiomer in the plant matrices under consideration at the validated limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.02 mg/kg. Based on the risk assessment results, EFSA concluded that the short‐ and long‐term intake of residues resulting from the use of acrinathrin according to the reported agricultural practices is unlikely to present a risk to consumer health.

In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the applicant Cheminova A/S submitted a request to the competent national authority in Spain to modify the existing maximum residue levels (MRLs) for the active substance acrinathrin in peaches and sweet peppers. The data submitted in support of the request were found sufficient to derive MRL proposals for both crops. Adequate analytical methods for enforcement are available to control the residues of acrinathrin and its enantiomer in the plant matrices under consideration at the validated limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.02 mg/kg. Based on the risk assessment results, EFSA concluded that the short- and long-term intake of residues resulting from the use of acrinathrin according to the reported agricultural practices is unlikely to present a risk to consumer health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under EU legislation (Article 32, Regulation (EC) No 396/2005), EFSA provides an annual report which analyses pesticide residue levels in foods on the European market. The analysis is based on data from the official national control activities carried out by EU Member States, Iceland and Norway and includes a subset of data from the EU‐coordinated control programme which uses a randomised sampling strategy. For 2018, 95.5% of the overall 91,015 samples analysed fell below the maximum residue level (MRL), 4.5% exceeded this level, of which 2.7% were non‐compliant, i.e. samples exceeding the MRL after taking into account the measurement uncertainty. For the subset of 11,679 samples analysed as part of the EU‐coordinated control programme, 1.4% exceeded the MRL and 0.9% were non‐compliant. Table grapes and sweet peppers/bell peppers were among the food products that most frequently exceeded the MRLs. To assess acute and chronic risk to consumer health, dietary exposure to pesticide residues was estimated and compared with health‐based guidance values. The findings suggest that the assessed levels for the food commodities analysed are unlikely to pose concern for consumer health. However, a number of recommendations are proposed to increase the efficiency of European control systems (e.g. optimising traceability), thereby continuing to ensure a high level of consumer protection. This publication is linked to the following EFSA Supporting Publications article: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/sp.efsa.2020.EN-1814/full [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the applicant Nissan Chemical Europe S.A.S. submitted two requests to the competent national authority in the Netherlands, respectively to modify the existing maximum residue level (MRL) in sweet pepper/bell pepper and to set an import tolerance in tree nuts for the active substance pyridaben. The data submitted in support of the requests were found to be sufficient to derive the MRL proposals of 0.3 mg/kg for sweet peppers/bell peppers and of 0.05* mg/kg for tree nuts. Adequate analytical methods for enforcement are available to control the residues of pyridaben in the commodities under consideration, at or above the validated limits of quantification (LOQs) of 0.01 mg/kg. Based on the risk assessment results, EFSA concluded that the short-term and long-term intake of residues resulting from the use of pyridaben on imported tree nuts from United States and from the indoor use on sweet peppers/bell peppers according to the reported agricultural practices, is unlikely to present a risk to consumer health. The reliable end points, appropriate for use in regulatory risk assessment are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EFSA Panel on Plant Health (PLHP) performed a pest categorisation of Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) for the EU. S. litura is widely distributed across South and East Asia and Oceania. It is established in tropical and subtropical regions where there are no, or few, frost days each year. It can extend its range into cooler temperate regions during summer months. S. litura is highly polyphagous feeding on hosts within at least 40 botanical families, including economically important crops within Brassicaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, Malvaceae, Poaceae and Solanaceae. Larvae are primarily leaf feeders and can cause complete defoliation. At high population densities almost all plant parts are eaten. S. litura is a serious pest in the Asia‐Pacific region where it causes losses to many economically important cultivated field crops and crops such as eggplants, sweet peppers and tomatoes in protected cultivation. As a species that appears limited by winter temperatures, only a small area of the EU provides climatic conditions where establishment outdoors may be possible although cultivated and wild hosts are distributed across the EU. S. litura has been intercepted in the EU many times on ornamentals and leafy vegetables. Outbreaks have occurred in EU glasshouses and have been eradicated. Phytosanitary measures are available to inhibit entry. S. litura satisfies the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for it to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest. S. litura does not meet the criteria of occurring in the EU, and plants for planting being the principal means of spread for it to be regarded as a potential Union regulated non‐quarantine pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]