Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 37 and 152(4)(b) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee^f1,

After consulting the Committee of the Regions,

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty^f2,

Whereas:

Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council^f3 provides that certain measures are to be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission^f4.

Decision 1999/468/EC has been amended by Decision 2006/512/EC, which introduced the regulatory procedure with scrutiny for the adoption of measures of general scope and designed to amend non-essential elements of a basic instrument adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 251 of the Treaty, inter alia by deleting some of those elements or by supplementing the instrument with new non-essential elements.

In accordance with the statement by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission^f5 concerning Decision 2006/512/EC, for the regulatory procedure with scrutiny to be applicable to instruments adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 251 of the Treaty which are already in force, those instruments must be adjusted in accordance with the applicable procedures.

The Commission should be empowered to define the scope of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 and the criteria necessary for the establishment of certain maximum residue levels (MRLs) of pesticides in or on food and feed of plant and animal origin listed in its relevant annexes. Since those measures are of general scope and are designed to amend non-essential elements of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, inter alia by supplementing it with new non-essential elements, they must be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny provided for in Article 5a of Decision 1999/468/EC.

On grounds of efficiency and in order to guarantee economic operators a rapid decision-making process, whilst ensuring a high level of consumer protection, the normal time limits for the regulatory procedure with scrutiny should be curtailed for the adoption of measures setting, including, implementing, modifying or deleting MRLs and establishing a list of active substances for which no MRLs are required, as well as a list of active substance/product combinations where active substances are used as fumigant for post-harvest treatment.

When, on imperative grounds of urgency, and in particular where a risk to human or animal health exists, the normal time limits for the regulatory procedure with scrutiny cannot be complied with, the Commission should be able to apply the urgency procedure provided for in Article 5a(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC for the adoption of measures setting, including, implementing, modifying or deleting MRLs.

Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: