EU legislation
Each year, Member States partake in an EU-coordinated Control programme (EUCP) to ensure compliance for maximum levels of pesticide residues in food. The EUCP randomly samples the food products most commonly consumed by EU citizens, giving a statistically representative snapshot of the situation of pesticide residues in those products. In the EUCP, the same group of commodities is monitored every three years.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) prepares annual reports on the control activities of EU Member States plus the two EEA countries, Norway and Iceland. These reports summarise the results of pesticide analyses of food, identify areas of concern regarding compliance with legal limits, and assess the exposure of consumers to pesticide residues via food placed on the market. The most recent report can be viewed on a dedicated webpage.
The EUCPs are set out in Commission Implementing Regulations each year.
In Ireland, the monitoring programme for pesticide residues in food is undertaken by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) through its Pesticide Control Division. The Irish reports can be accessed on: http://www.pcs.agriculture.gov.ie.