Banned pesticides in citrus fruit from South Africa

Subject: Banned pesticides in citrus fruit from South Africa

The regional government of the Autonomous Community of Valencia has detected residues of up to 14 pesticides in citrus fruits imported from South Africa, two of which are excluded from use in the European Union under Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC.

The health authorities have confirmed that oranges, lemons, mandarins and grapefruit from South Africa contain ‘carbendazim’ and ‘propiconazole’, two active substances banned for use in European citrus production pursuant to the most recent list derived from that Directive published by the Ministry of Agriculture on 19 October 2020.

The use of these pesticides constitutes unfair competition for European growers who do comply with health and environmental standards.

1. Will the Commission financially compensate European growers for the unfair competition and increased costs arising for them from the unequal use of plant protection products in third countries?

2. Is the Commission planning to carry out a new inspection at source to control the use of pesticides in citrus fruit in South Africa?

3. Have any other consignments imported into the EU from South Africa been found to contain banned substances?

Answer given by Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

(1 December 2020)

The safety of European consumers is a priority for the Commission. The EU legislation regulating pesticide residues (1) ensures that the same standards of safety apply equally to food produced in the EU and imported from third countries and that consumers are comprehensively protected.

Producers in third countries face production conditions different from those in the EU, which may require use of different pesticides.

As announced in the Farm to Fork Strategy (2), the Commission will take into account environmental aspects when assessing requests for import tolerances for pesticide substances no longer approved in the EU while respecting World Trade Organisation standards and obligations.

The Commission will also engage actively with trading partners, especially with developing countries, to accompany the transition towards a more sustainable use of pesticides.

Member States are responsible for carrying out official controls on food and feed imported into the EU (3) considering risk-based criteria. The Commission already performed audits in South Africa regarding plant health (4), (5) and pesticide residues (6) while the next audit is planned for 2021 (7).

According to the European Food Safety Authority’s latest report on the monitoring of pesticide residues (8), 1,154 samples originating in South Africa were analysed in 2018. Except for citrus fruits, only few other consignments contained residues of substances not approved in the EU, for example peaches (chlorfenapyr — 1 sample), table grapes (chlorpyrifos — 3 samples).

The Common Agricultural Policy provides support to farmers and the fruit and vegetable sector, though not specifically linked to competition from imports grown with plant protection products not authorised in the EU.

⋅1∙ Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 February 2005 on maximum residue levels of pesticides in or on food and feed of

plant and animal origin, OJ L 70, 16.3.2005, p. 1.

⋅2∙ COM(2020) 381 final

⋅3∙ Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the

application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products (Official Controls Regulation), OJ L 95, 7.4.2017, p. 1.

⋅4∙ https://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/audit_reports/details.cfm?rep_id=3483

⋅5∙ https://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/audit_reports/details.cfm?rep_id=3751

⋅6∙ https://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/audit_reports/details.cfm?rep_id=3360

⋅7∙ https://ec.europa.eu/food/audits_analysis_en

⋅8∙ https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/6057