Pesticide MRLs: temporary chlorpropham MRL in potatoes from stores lowered from 0.35 to 0.2 mg/kg, methoxyfenozide in aubergines 0.3 instead of 0.6 mg/kg (LC-MS/MS, LOQ 0.01), fuberidazole, ipconazole, S-metolachlor and triflusulfuron moved to Annex V at the LOQ — from 6 January 2026
Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/1163, published on 16 June 2025 and applicable from 6 January 2026, amends Annexes II, III and V to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005: it lowers the temporary chlorpropham MRL in potatoes, sets the methoxyfenozide MRL in aubergines at the level proposed by EFSA (reasoned opinion of 2024) and moves four substances without approval, CXLs or import tolerances to Annex V. Products placed on the market before 6 January 2026 remain subject to the previous rules.
- Chlorpropham: the approval expired on 28 February 2019, but monitoring data showed contamination of potatoes stored in facilities where it had been used above 0.01 mg/kg. Temporary MRL: 0.4 mg/kg (2021/155) → 0.35 mg/kg (2023/377) → now 0.2 mg/kg. New footnote: review on the basis of data submitted by 16 June 2027, then every two years (previously every year); report on store cleaning practices — on the same dates. Residue definitions in animal products in the new wording of Annex III: in poultry products (code 1016000) and eggs conjugates of chlorpropham and 3-chloro-4-hydroxyaniline, in others (excluding honey) — chlorpropham and 4-HSA, expressed as chlorpropham.
- Methoxyfenozide in aubergines (code 0231030): 0.3 mg/kg instead of the tentative 0.6 mg/kg. In 2023 EFSA proposed lowering to the LOQ because confirmatory data were missing; a new application by Belgium brought greenhouse trials on tomatoes (extrapolation to aubergines): eight trials, residues 0.019–0.168 mg/kg (in two trials higher results from later samplings were used), HR 0.168, STMR 0.061 mg/kg. Cultivation in substrate replaced at each cycle, hence no rotational crop studies.
- Methods for methoxyfenozide (EFSA opinion): HPLC-MS/MS (method 120948, methanol/water 90/10) and multiresidue QuEChERS LC-MS/MS (120633, acetonitrile/water), LOQ 0.01 mg/kg; extraction efficiency shown by comparison with the solvent from the metabolism studies (acetonitrile/0.1 M HCl 80/20) on tomatoes with incurred residues — difference below 30 % (guidance SANTE 2017/10632). Long-term intake — at most 6 % of the ADI (0.1 mg/kg bw), aubergines 0.02 %. In the EFSA text on the tomato trials it says “samples from treated aubergines” were collected.
- Annex V (limits of determination set with the EU reference laboratories): fuberidazole, ipconazole, metolachlor with S-metolachlor (sum of isomers) and triflusulfuron — 0.01 mg/kg for fruit, vegetables, cereals, oilseeds, sugar plants and animal products, 0.02 mg/kg for herbs and edible flowers (subgroup 0256000), 0.05 mg/kg for teas, coffee, herbal infusions, cocoa, hops, spices and honey. New definition for ipconazole: “ipconazole (sum of constituent isomers) (F)”; for triflusulfuron the residue definition is the metabolite IN-M7222 (6-(2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine). The laboratories confirmed that analytical standards are available, so the footnote on their unavailability was deleted.