Chlorpropham takes hurdle to temporary residue limit

The Standing Committee in Brussels has approved a temporary Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) for the sprout inhibitor chlorpropham (CIPC). This is a temporary limit of 0,4 milligrams per kilo. This adjustment is expected to come into effect around the summer of 2021, although further decision-making in the European Union must be awaited before a date.

The decision of the Standing Committee is therefore not the final destination. Now it is up to the European Council and the European Parliament to make a decision. Publication is expected in 3 to 6 months. This means that the exact starting date is not yet known, but it is expected to be around the summer of 2021. Until the temporary MRL of 0,4 milligrams per kilo takes effect, the current standard of 10 milligrams per kilo will remain in force.

Since January 1, a prohibition on the use of chlorpropham in Europe, but ware potatoes can still be delivered below the current MRL values ​​in this way in the 2020/2021 season. Imports of ware potatoes from outside the European Union will soon have to comply with the temporary MRL.

Unworkable situation
After the European Union decided not to renew the authorization of CIPC, the MRL would normally fall to a level of 0,01 milligrams per kilo. That standard limit value yielded according to the sector an unworkable situation. After all, there is a high risk of cross-contamination in barns where CIPC has been used in the past. A solution has been found for the sector with a temporary MRL and following the cleaning protocol.

"This problem has caused a lot of headaches in the sector. In the Taskforce Germination Inhibition of BO Akkerbouw, members of, among others, LTO Nederland, NAV, VAVI and NAO have worked hard on a solution, together with European partners. Alternative resources are now available. for safekeeping and there is a cleaning protocol for repositories. Now there is clarity about the temporary MRL. This allows the sector to move forward," says André Hoogendijk, director of BO Akkerbouw.

Kimberly Baker

Kimberly Bakker is an all-round editor at Boerenbusiness. She also has an eye for the social media channels of Boerenbusiness.

k.baker @boerenbusiness. Nl

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