Italy: Hazelnut Working Group

The Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (MIPAAF) of Italy will launch a working group on the hazelnut sector, once the current COVID-19 situation is over.

EU: Audit Report, AFLA in US Peanuts

On March 26, 2020, the European Commission published the Final Report of an audit carried out in the United States, from 7 to 15 October 2019, in order to assess the control system in place to control aflatoxin contamination in peanuts intended for export to the European Union (EU).

EU: Pesticide Withdrawals

The European Commission notified the World Trade Organization of the Draft Commission Implementing Regulation concerning the non-renewal of approval of the active substance fenamiphos, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market, and amending the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011.

EU: MRLs Update

The European Commission published the Commission Regulation (EU) 2020/192 of 12 February 2020 amending Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards maximum residue levels for prochloraz in or on certain products.

EFSA: MRLs Review

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published the Reasoned Opinion on the Review of the existing maximum residue levels for spinetoram.

China: Tariff Reductions

On February 6, 2020, China announced tariff reductions on certain US origin products, which entered into force on February 14, 2020.