The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office of Switzerland has notified the World Trade Organization of the Revision of the Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of Korea notified the World Trade Organization of the proposed amendments to the Standards and Specifications for Foods.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan notified the World Trade Organization of the Revision of the Standards and Specifications for Foods and Food Additives under the Food Sanitation Act (revision of agricultural chemical residue standards).

On March 9, 2020, the Ministry of Primary Industries of New Zealand published the ‘Food Notice: Maximum Residue Levels for Agricultural Compounds’.

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.

On March 30, 2020, the EU Council adopted a decision on the conclusion of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement.

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).

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.

The report of the Standing Committee of the Section ‘Phytopharmaceuticals’, held on February 17-18, 2020, has been published (see previous post).

The European Commission notified the World Trade Organization of the Draft Commission Regulation 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 bupirimate, carfentrazone-ethyl, emamectin, ethirimol and pyriofenone in or on certain products.