The European Commission has welcomed the adoption by the European Parliament of amendments to a regulation aiming to harmonise at European level the maximum residue levels (MRLs) of pesticides permitted in products of plant and animal origin.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


The amendments have also been approved by the European Council, which will enable the final adoption of the regulation by the Council in the next few months.


“This legislation provides for Europe-wide limits for pesticide residues on food products, providing reassurance and certainty for consumers and making trade easier within the EU. It also takes account of differences in diet across Europe and explicitly protects vulnerable groups like children,” said Markos Kyprianou, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection.


The Commission said it will now develop implementing measures setting concrete Europe-wide maximum levels for permitted pesticide residues. All MRLs for pesticides will become harmonised after a transitional ‘phase-in’ period, and will in future only be set at the European level. An amendment added by the European Parliament is to take into account the cumulative effects of pesticides acting in a similar way. The Commission has already asked the European Food Safety Authority to develop methods for calculating such effects when setting MRLs.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact