# 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 and amending Council Directive 91/414/EEC (Text with EEA relevance), Article 18: Compliance with MRLs

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

1. A product listed in Part 1 of the MRLs register in relation to a constituent territory must not contain, from the time it is placed on the market as food or feed, or fed to animals in that constituent territory, any pesticide residue exceeding—
(a) the MRL for that product listed in Part 2 or 3 of the MRLs register in relation to that constituent territory;
(b) the level described in paragraphs 1A or 1B, where there is no MRL.
1A. Where there is no MRL for a product listed in Part 2 or 3 of the MRLs register in relation to a constituent territory, the level is the default value for an active substance as listed in Part 5 of the MRLs register in relation to that constituent territory (see Article 18A).
1B. Where in relation to a constituent territory—
(a) there is no MRL for the product in Part 2 or 3 of the MRLs register,
(b) there is no default value for an active substance listed in Part 5 of the MRLs register, and
(c) the active substance is not listed in Part 4 of the MRLs register,
the level applicable is 0.01mg/kg.
2. A competent authority may not prohibit or impede the placing on the market or the feeding to food-producing animals within its constituent territory of the products listed in Part 1 of the MRLs register in relation to its constituent territory on the grounds that they contain pesticide residues provided that:
(a) such products comply with paragraph 1 and Article 20; or
(b) the active substance is listed in Part 4 of the MRLs register in relation to that constituent territory.
3. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, a competent authority may authorise, further to a post-harvest treatment with a fumigant on its constituent territory, residue levels for an active substance which exceed the limits specified in Part 2 or 3 of the MRLs register in relation to that constituent territory where the active substance/product combinations are listed in Part 7 of the MRLs register in relation to that constituent territory, provided that—
(a) such products are not intended for immediate consumption;
(b) appropriate controls are in place to ensure that such products cannot be made available to the end user or consumer, if they are supplied directly to the latter, until the residues no longer exceed the maximum levels specified in Part 2 or 3 of the MRLs register;
(c) the other competent authorities have been informed of the measures taken.
...
3A. A competent authority may, in relation to its constituent territory—
(a) define combinations of active substances and products for the purposes of paragraph 3;
(b) modify or withdraw any such combinations.
3B. As soon as reasonably practicable after defining, modifying or withdrawing a combination in accordance with paragraph 3A the competent authority must—
(a) notify the other competent authorities of the defining, modifying or withdrawing of the combination and the reason for that decision, and
(b) update the MRLs register accordingly.
4. In exceptional circumstances, and in particular further to the use of plant protection products in accordance with Article 53 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 or pursuant to obligations set out in the EU-derived domestic legislation which transposed Directive 2000/29/EC, a competent authority may authorise the placing on the market and/or the feeding to animals within its constituent territory of treated food or feed not complying with paragraph 1, provided that such food or feed does not constitute an unacceptable risk. ....
5. Where a competent authority grants an authorisation in accordance with paragraph 4, the competent authority must—
(a) notify the other competent authorities of that authorisation;
(b) as soon as reasonably practicable, undertake an appropriate risk assessment with a view to setting a temporary MRL for a specified period, or taking any other necessary measure in relation to the products to which the authorisation relates.
6. After the completion of the risk assessment described in paragraph 5(b) the competent authority may set a temporary MRL, and Article 15(3) to (9) applies to any temporary MRL set.
7. In paragraph 4, “EU-derived domestic legislation” has the meaning given by section 2(2) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2005/396/article/18 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2005-396/article-18
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.