In accordance with the EU pesticide review process,the MRL for 2,4-D on citrus was set at the limit ofdetermination (zero) from July 1. In the meantimewe faced a major crisis with the main exportingseason from South Africa underway and only aproportion of the fruit not treated with 2,4-D.In contrast with the rest of the EU, the crisis wasparticularly acute in the UK due to our policy ofpublicly naming and shaming companies that breachthe regulations.

The UK faced the prospect of major supermarketsdelisting oranges because it became illegal to sellthem with a residue of 2,4-D after July 1.The European Commission, supported by themember states, was very unsympathetic. “Theregulations are clear, the regulatory process is clearand you had plenty of time to take action but insteadsat on your hands”, it said.

In the week running up to the July 1, PSD in theUK rescued us from this situation by processing in aweek work that would normally have taken months.There are three lessons to be learnt from thissituation.

• The first is that you can expect to be rescuedonce but it is a fool who expects to be rescued twicefrom the same problem.

• Secondly companies must undertake a duediligence exercise on the pesticides that are beingused on their products and they must check whereeach pesticide and its MRL sit in relation to theregulations.

• Finally, if a problem is identified action must betaken.

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