Maximum residue limits on agrichemicals Work program for 2015

Areas of activity WWTG MRL Working Group APEC Wine Regulatory Forum APEC Food safety Cooperation Forum

WWTG Working Group At the November 2012 meeting, WWTG industry participants presented a paper on trade facilitation that noted that ‘frequent, significant trade difficulties arise internationally in relation to the establishment of regulatory limits for wine grapes, as well as to the analyses performed by the competent authorities to test for compliance with those limits’. At the 2012 Plenary Meeting, WWTG Government participants agreed to do further work to determine an appropriate way forward with respect to facilitating trade through coherence in limits and analysis.

Technical Working Group Formed in 2013 and reported to WWTG in April 2014. Purpose was to : advance the WWTG’s understanding of the potential trade issues that arise from MRL policy within the membership, and with third markets. provide examples that are relevant to trade, and illustrate how MRL policy might result in trade disruptions provide recommendations regarding further work within the WWTG, including options that might apply more broadly across the entire suite of agrichemicals.

Technical Working Group report The Technical Working Group report identified several real world case studies involving the pesticides ametoctradin, fenhexamid, and phosphorous acid/fosetyl-Al where MRL policy had the potential to, or has resulted in, trade disruptions. The report included discussion of:  what generated the need for the agrichemical (i.e. is it necessary to use the substance);  differences in policy between member countries, and the reasons for those differences; any disruptions to trade that either could have arisen, or did arise as a result of MRL policy; and  different ways in which those trade disruptions could be avoided.

Recommendations and activity The report was referred to the APEC Wine Regulatory Forum to support their pilot project in promoting greater harmonisation of pesticide MRL standards in the wider APEC community. The TWG is collecting a List of major (or promising) wine importing countries for which MRL information would be valuable. Confirming national enforcement policies on how MRLs are applied to wine (and where possible provide information on policies adopted by their trading partners), Identifying what national/regional residue definitions (for enforcement) include more than just the parent compound.

APEC Wine Regulatory Forum APEC Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance (SCSC) Meeting endorsed the establishment of a Wine Regulatory Forum (WRF) and its Terms of Reference in 2008. The third meeting of the APEC Wine Regulatory Forum (WRF) was held on November 4-6, 2013 in Washington, DC. It was the first of five meetings to be held under a multi-year project which responds to the call by APEC Leaders for improved regulation. APEC members were encouraged to consider closer engagement with the WWTG.

APEC WRF Activities Members identified the need for public-private working groups to advance the goals and activities of the WRF. The following electronic working groups will develop and manage specific APEC WRF activities: (1) Working Group on Export Certificates, (2) Working Group on Compendia, (3) Working Group on Enhanced Risk Controls, and (4) Working Group on Pesticide Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs).

Maximum Residue Limits Members agreed to continue dialogue on MRLs for agrochemicals with a view to facilitating trade and encouraging cooperation with relevant international bodies such as Codex and the WWTG. Led by the Working Group on Pesticide MRLs, Members should look to the WWTG and the APEC Food Safety Cooperation Forum’s pilot project on MRLs for wine grapes to inform future work in this area

Work program The next meeting of the APEC WRF is scheduled in November 2015 in Adelaide. Current work includes the collation of MRL data Completion of a study on processing factors Technical input into the APEC FSCF pilot project.

Food Safety Cooperation Forum Under the APEC Food Safety Cooperation Forum, a pilot project is being initiated between APEC member economies for the purpose of promoting greater harmonisation of pesticide MRL standards. The two commodities being evaluated in the pilot are mangos and wine grapes.

Food Safety Cooperation Forum Australia is leading a self-funded project on the development of a guideline for the harmonisation of pesticide MRLs for imported foods within APEC economies. The 1st Expert Workshop on the harmonisation of pesticide MRLs for imported foods will be held in Sydney, Australia (Coogee Beach) on the 21 and 22 April 2015.

First workshop This 2-day workshop seeks to encourage and facilitate trade of food commodities between APEC member economies through the development of a guideline on the harmonisation of MRLs for imported foods. The project will complement and feed into the work of the APEC FSCF Action Plan to Implement the APEC Regulatory Cooperation Plan, pilot project on pesticide MRLs. Draws on the work of the WWTG working Group

Second workshop A final workshop will be held, probably in the margins of the APEC meeting in Cebu in late August. From this meeting, a set of guidelines will emerge that economies can use to  permit trade in foods with differing MRLs. There will not be a single solution, but could include adoption of Codex MRLs; harmonisation; development of import MRLs.

Future work Seek funding to establish a follow-up project to look at establishment of systems to allow the development of MRLs in importing economies.

Conclusion The objective is to have in place by the end of 2018 systems in place in each APEC (and WWTG) economy to  permit trade in foods with differing MRLs.

How Can We Help?

Enforcement Decisions

Regulatory Environment Pesticide testing is more complex than testing for other analytes Most regulatory testing uses multi-residue methods http://nucleus.iaea.org/fcris/PesticideMethodList.aspx OECD and Codex concentrate on performance criteria, rather than endorsing particular methods.

Codex Guidelines for Imported Food Testing Labs Use internal quality control procedures Participate in appropriate PT schemes Comply with general criteria in ISO 17025:2005 Use methods validated according to Codex principles

Summary of Performance Parameters for Analytical Methods Applicability Selectivity Calibration and Linearity Linearity and Intercept Test for general matrix effect Trueness and recovery Precision Analytical range L.O.Q. Sensitivity Ruggedness Fitness for purpose Measurement uncertainty