Foreword
The Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF Committee) held its most recent sessions for the sections on Phytopharmaceuticals – Legislation and Pesticide Residues on 10 and 11 March 2026. The meetings focused on refining the Union’s multiannual control programmes and finalising the renewal of key active substances.
Pesticide Residues Section: Updates to Control Programmes
During the session on 10 March 2026, the Residues section reached a favourable opinion regarding a draft Implementing Regulation designed to correct errors in the coordinated multiannual control programme for 2026, 2027, and 2028.
The primary corrections involved:
- Fosetyl-Al: An update was necessary due to changes in the residue definition for enforcement.
- Trimethyl-sulfonium cation: A correction was made to the analysis schedule for onions, moving the requirement to 2026 instead of 2027.
Although several Member States expressed concerns regarding the short notice for adjusting their ongoing sampling budgets and the lack of validated analytical methods for certain combinations, the vote was successful. EFSA has confirmed that reporting on the onion/trimethyl-sulfonium cation combination will be considered optional for the 2026 annual report to accommodate these challenges.
Phytopharmaceuticals – Legislation Section: Renewal of Paraffin Oil
The Legislation section met over two days to discuss a broad agenda, including the harmonisation of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 with new CLP hazard classes and the review of various active substances such as Ziram and Amidosulfuron.
The most significant outcome was the unanimous positive opinion (27 Member States in favour, representing 100% of the population) for the renewal of the active substance paraffin oil (CAS 8042-47-5).
Key details of the renewal include:
- Approval Period: The renewal is set to apply from 1 July 2026 and will remain valid until 30 June 2041.
- Specific Provisions: Member States must pay particular attention to consumer risk assessments regarding total mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) and the protection of bees, aquatic organisms, and non-target arthropods.
- Confirmatory Data: The applicant is required to submit further information within 12 months of the regulation’s entry into force to demonstrate compliance with maximum levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and to validate analytical methods for their determination.
Ongoing Regulatory Discussions
The Committee also exchanged views on several draft reports for non-renewal, including those for flutolanil, buprofezin, and pirimicarb, while discussing the potential approval of pydiflumetofen as a candidate for substitution. Furthermore, an update was provided on the Omnibus Simplification Package and the ongoing assessment of PFAS and antimicrobial resistance linked to micro-organisms.
Other decisions
Several additional items were included in Part B of the agenda of the “Legislation” section of the meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF), for which the results of the respective votes are not yet publicly available. We will provide an update as soon as the relevant information becomes officially available. For preliminary insights on specific topics, please feel free to contact us.
Further Reading
- Readers interested in exploring the topics discussed during the latest meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) may refer to the official documents and summary records published by the European Commission.