Codex Coalition urges against delays of MRL approvals

Following the postponement of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR-52) scheduled for Guangzhou in March/April, the IAFN Coalition for an Enhanced Codex has written to the Codex Chair urging for the important work on the CCPR agenda to go ahead.

The text of the letter sent on 17 February states:“While we acknowledge the seriousness of the situation required such an action, we urge you to advocate for prioritizing its prompt rescheduling. There are currently over 400 MRLs recommended for approval by the JMPR in 2019 which risk being delayed for another year before being approved, if the CCPR does not take place before the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) meeting in July (Rome).”“To underline the significance of this work, we note that Codex MRLs are crucial for agricultural trade, and trade is critical to food security; the ability to trade in food is central to the livelihoods of many farmers, who make up a disproportionate percentage of the world’s rural poor. Given the importance of global trade and the significance of MRLs in facilitating trade, the CCPR plays a critical role in determining economic outcomes for all stakeholders that depend on trade flows.”