Food consumed in the European Union continues to be largely free of pesticide residues or to contain residues that fall within legal limits, new figures show. The latest monitoring report published by EFSA reveals that more than 97% of food samples collected across the EU in 2015 were within legal limits, with just over 53% free of quantifiable residues. The figures are in line with those recorded in 2014.

• In 2015, the reporting countries analysed 84,341 samples for 774 pesticides.
• The majority of the samples (69.3%) originated from EU Member States, Iceland and Norway; 25.8% concerned products imported from third countries. The origin of the remaining samples was not reported.
• 97.2% of the samples analysed fell within the limits permitted in EU legislation. 53.3% of the samples tested were free of quantifiable residues while 43.9% contained residues not exceeding legal limits.
• Legal limits were exceeded in 5.6% of the samples from non-EU countries, down from 6.5% in 2014.
• For products from EU and EEA countries, legal limits were exceeded in 1.7% of samples, a slight year-on-year increase (from 1.6%).
• Of the samples of foods intended for infants and young children, 96.5% were free of residues or residues fell within legal limits.
• For organic foods, 99.3% were residue-free or within legal limits.
• The majority of samples of animal products (84.4%) were free of quantifiable residues.

Use our interactive report to go beyond the headline figures and find out more about the findings from 2015.

As part of its annual report, EFSA analyses the results of the EU-coordinated control programme (EUCP), under which reporting countries analyse samples from the same “basket” of food items. For 2015 the products were aubergines, bananas, broccoli, virgin olive oil, orange juice, peas, sweet peppers, table grapes, wheat, butter and eggs.

The highest exceedance rate recorded was for broccoli (3.4% of samples), followed by table grapes (1.7%). Rare exceedances were found for olive oil, orange juice and chicken eggs. No exceedances were recorded for butter.

EFSA also performed a dietary risk assessment based on the EUCP. For both short-term (acute) and long-term (chronic) exposure the Authority concluded that the risk to consumers was low.

The same products were also analysed in 2012, since when the overall exceedance rate has fallen slightly from 0.9% to 0.8% in 2015.

In its report EFSA makes a number of recommendations for increasing the efficiency of the EU-coordinated and national control programmes.

Food consumed in the European Union continues to be largely free of pesticide residues or to contain residues that fall within legal limits, new figures show. The latest monitoring report published by EFSA reveals that more than 97% of food samples collected across the EU in 2015 were within legal limits, with just over 53% free of quantifiable residues. The figures are in line with those recorded in 2014.

• In 2015, the reporting countries analysed 84,341 samples for 774 pesticides.
• The majority of the samples (69.3%) originated from EU Member States, Iceland and Norway; 25.8% concerned products imported from third countries. The origin of the remaining samples was not reported.
• 97.2% of the samples analysed fell within the limits permitted in EU legislation. 53.3% of the samples tested were free of quantifiable residues while 43.9% contained residues not exceeding legal limits.
• Legal limits were exceeded in 5.6% of the samples from non-EU countries, down from 6.5% in 2014.
• For products from EU and EEA countries, legal limits were exceeded in 1.7% of samples, a slight year-on-year increase (from 1.6%).
• Of the samples of foods intended for infants and young children, 96.5% were free of residues or residues fell within legal limits.
• For organic foods, 99.3% were residue-free or within legal limits.
• The majority of samples of animal products (84.4%) were free of quantifiable residues.

Use our interactive report to go beyond the headline figures and find out more about the findings from 2015.

As part of its annual report, EFSA analyses the results of the EU-coordinated control programme (EUCP), under which reporting countries analyse samples from the same “basket” of food items. For 2015 the products were aubergines, bananas, broccoli, virgin olive oil, orange juice, peas, sweet peppers, table grapes, wheat, butter and eggs.

The highest exceedance rate recorded was for broccoli (3.4% of samples), followed by table grapes (1.7%). Rare exceedances were found for olive oil, orange juice and chicken eggs. No exceedances were recorded for butter.

EFSA also performed a dietary risk assessment based on the EUCP. For both short-term (acute) and long-term (chronic) exposure the Authority concluded that the risk to consumers was low.

The same products were also analysed in 2012, since when the overall exceedance rate has fallen slightly from 0.9% to 0.8% in 2015.

In its report EFSA makes a number of recommendations for increasing the efficiency of the EU-coordinated and national control programmes.

The President of the Republic of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid met with the Executive Director of eu-LISA Krum Garkov today in the headquarters of the Agency in Tallinn, Estonia. The principle purpose of the meeting was to discuss the evolving role of the large-scale IT systems in contributing to safety and security in Europe.

Mr Garkov welcomed President Kaljulaid and thanked her on behalf of the Agency for the interest and support demonstrated by the high-level visit. According to the Executive Director it gives a clear sign that the issues of an open, yet safe and secure European Union are high up on the European agenda. Likewise are matters related to innovation, digital transformation and information technology, which increasingly affect the way we manage EU justice and home affairs. Since eu-LISA is the Agency that has a role in both EU values and modern technologies, the importance of eu-LISA for Member States and for the EU as a whole will continue to grow.

President Kaljulaid and the Mr Garkov discussed the impact of transformations in the area of EU freedom, security and justice, which has become increasingly reliant on modern technologies and information sharing.  The Executive Director elaborated on the eu-LISA 2017 priorities related to the evolution of the existing IT systems and the integration of new ones in line with their respective legal basis. Both of these major task areas are linked to the revision of the Agency’s mandate and with legal proposals that are currently being negotiated at institutional level.

During a brief tour of the Agency’s current headquarters, located in the EU House in Tallinn, the President and Mr Garkov spoke about progress on the new headquarters building that will house eu-LISA in Tallinn. The expanded tasks of the Agency related to the current as well as the new systems have made the need for a larger working space increasingly evident.

President Kaljulaid also met and spoke to the staff of eu-LISA, with the offices in Strasbourg and Brussels connected via video conference.

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Contact:

Mare Haab

Head of External and Internal Communication

e-mail: press@eulisa.europa.eu

mob: +372 588 78 668

for general information: info@eulisa.europa.eu

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