
COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2006/9/EC of 23 January 2006 amending Council Directives 90/642/EEC as regards the maximum residue levels of diquat, fixed therein (Text with EEA relevance) 

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 90/642/EEC of 27 November 1990 on the fixing of maximum levels for pesticide residues in and on certain products of plant origin including fruit and vegetables, and in particular Article 7 thereof,
Having regard to Council Directive 91/414/EEC of 15 July 1991 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market, and in particular Article 4(1)(f) thereof,
Whereas:

(1) In accordance with Directive 91/414/EEC, authorisations of plant protection products for use on specific crops are the responsibility of the Member States. Such authorisations have to be based on the evaluation of effects on human and animal health and influence on the environment. Elements to be taken into account in such evaluations include operator and bystander exposure and impact on the terrestrial, aquatic and aerial environments, as well as impact on humans and animals through consumption of residues on treated crops.

(2) Maximum residue levels (MRLs) reflect the use of minimum quantities of pesticides to achieve effective protection of plants, applied in such a manner that the amount of residue is the smallest practicable and is toxicologically acceptable, in particular in terms of estimated dietary intake.

(3) MRLs for pesticides should be kept under review. They may be changed to take account of new uses, new information and data.

(4) MRLs are fixed at the lower limit of analytical determination where authorised uses of plant protection products do not result in detectable levels of pesticide residues in or on the food product, or where there are no authorised uses, or where uses which have been authorised by Member States have not been supported by the necessary data, or where uses in third countries resulting in residues in or on food products which may enter into circulation in the Community market have not been supported with such necessary data.

(5) Information on new or changed uses of diquat covered by Directive 90/642/EEC has been notified to the Commission.

(6) The lifetime exposure of consumers to these pesticides via food products that may contain residues of these pesticides, has been assessed and evaluated in accordance with the procedures and practices used within the Community, taking account of guidelines published by the World Health Organisation. It has been calculated that the MRLs concerned will ensure that the acceptable daily intake is not exceeded.

(7) An assessment of the available information has shown that no ARfD is required and that therefore a short term assessment is not needed.

(8) Therefore it is appropriate to fix new maximum levels for residues of diquat.

(9) The setting or modification at Community level of provisional MRLs does not prevent the Member States from establishing provisional MRLs for diquat in accordance with Article 4(1)(f) of Directive 91/414/EEC and Annex VI thereto. It is considered that a period of four years is sufficient to permit further uses of diquat. The provisional Community MRL should then become definitive.

(10) Directive 90/642/EEC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(11) The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Article 1 
Annex I to Directive 90/642/EEC is amended as follows. In group ‘4. OILSEEDS’, the entry ‘Hemp seed’ is inserted between the entries ‘Cotton seed’ and ‘Others’.
Article 2 
Part A of Annex II to Directive 90/642/EEC is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Directive.
Article 3 

1. Member States shall adopt and publish, by 26 July 2006 at the latest, the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive. They shall forthwith communicate to the Commission the text of those provisions and a correlation table between those provisions and this Directive.They shall apply those provisions from 27 July 2006.When Member States adopt those provisions, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or be accompanied by such a reference on the occasion of their official publication. Member States shall determine how such reference is to be made.
2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.
Article 4 
This Directive shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Article 5 
This Directive is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 23 January 2006.
For the Commission
Markos KYPRIANOU
Member of the Commission
ANNEX

In part A of Annex II to Directive 90/642/EEC, the column for diquat is replaced by the following:

Pesticide residue and maximum residue level (mg/kg)
Groups and examples of individual products to which the MRLs would apply Diquat

‘1. Fruit, fresh, dried or uncooked, preserved by freezing, not containing added sugar; nuts
 0,05

(i) CITRUS FRUIT
 
Grapefruit 
Lemons 
Limes 
Mandarins (including clementines and other hybrids) 
Oranges 
Pomelos 
Others 

(ii) TREE NUTS (shelled or unshelled)
 
Almonds 
Brazil nuts 
Cashew nuts 
Chestnuts 
Coconuts 
Hazelnuts 
Macadamia 
Pecans 
Pine nuts 
Pistachios 
Walnuts 
Others 

(iii) POME FRUIT
 
Apples 
Pears 
Quinces 
Others 

(iv) STONE FRUIT
 
Apricots 
Cherries 
Peaches (including nectarines and similar hybrids) 
Plums 
Others 

(v) BERRIES AND SMALL FRUIT
 

(a) Table and wine grapes
 
Table grapes 
Wine grapes 

(b) Strawberries (other than wild)
 

(c) Cane fruit (other than wild)
 
Blackberries 
Dewberries 
Loganberries 
Raspberries 
Others 

(d) Other small fruit and berries (other than wild)
 
Bilberries 
Cranberries 
Currants (red, black and white) 
Gooseberries 
Others 

(e) Wild berries and wild fruit
 

(vi) MISCELLANEOUS
 
Avocados 
Bananas 
Dates 
Figs 
Kiwi 
Kumquats 
Litchis 
Mangoes 
Olives 
Papaya 
Passion fruit 
Pineapples 
Pomegranate 
Others 

2. Vegetables, fresh or uncooked, frozen or dry
 0,05

(i) ROOT AND TUBER VEGETABLES
 
Beetroot 
Carrots 
Cassava 
Celeriac 
Horseradish 
Jerusalem artichokes 
Parsnips 
Parsley root 
Radishes 
Salsify 
Sweet potatoes 
Swedes 
Turnips 
Yam 
Others 

(ii) BULB VEGETABLES
 
Garlic 
Onions 
Shallots 
Spring onions 
Others 

(iii) FRUITING VEGETABLES
 

(a) Solanacea
 
Tomatoes 
Peppers 
Aubergines 
Others 

(b) Cucurbits — edible peel
 
Cucumbers 
Gherkins 
Courgettes 
Others 

(c) Cucurbits — inedible peel
 
Melons 
Squashes 
Watermelons 
Others 

(d) Sweet corn
 

(iv) BRASSICA VEGETABLES
 

(a) Flowering brassica
 
Broccoli (including Calabrese) 
Cauliflower 
Others 

(b) Head brassica
 
Brussels sprouts 
Head cabbage 
Others 

(c) Leafy brassica
 
Chinese cabbage 
Kale 
Others 

(d) Kohlrabi
 

(v) LEAF VEGETABLES AND FRESH HERBS
 

(a) Lettuce and similar
 
Cress 
Lamb's lettuce 
Lettuce 
Scarole (broad-leaf endive) 
Others 

(b) Spinach and similar
 
Spinach 
Beet leaves (chard) 
Others 

(c) Water cress
 

(d) Witloof
 

(e) Herbs
 
Chervil 
Chives 
Parsley 
Celery leaves 
Others 

(vi) LEGUME VEGETABLES (fresh)
 
Beans (with pods) 
Beans (without pods) 
Peas (with pods) 
Peas (without pods) 
Others 

(vii) STEM VEGETABLES (fresh)
 
Asparagus 
Cardoons 
Celery 
Fennel 
Globe artichokes 
Leek 
Rhubarb 
Others 

(viii) FUNGI
 

(a) Cultivated mushrooms
 

(b) Wild mushrooms
 

3. Pulses
 0,2
Beans 
Lentils 
Peas 
Others 
4. Oilseeds
Linseed 5
Peanuts 0,1
Poppy seed 0,1
Sesame seed 0,1
Sunflower seed 1
Rape seed 2
Soya bean 0,2
Mustard seed 0,5
Cotton seed 0,1
Hemp seed 0,5
Others 0,1

5. Potatoes
 0,05
Early potatoes 
Ware potatoes 

6. Tea (dried leaves and stalks, fermented or otherwise, Camellia sinensis)
 0,1

7. Hops (dried), including hop pellets and unconcentrated powder
 0,1


