The European Union (EU) has laid down legislation to regulate the presence of pesticide residues in fresh fruits and vegetables, by setting maximum residue levels (MRLs).
MRL legislation is pan-EU harmonized and determined the maximum allowed concentrations of pesticide residues in fresh fruits and vegetables. In general, MRLs levels are fixed on the basis of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) and are specific for crop-pesticide combinations, which means that the MRL of a certain pesticide on apple can differ from the MRL of that same pesticide on banana.

In some cases, the EU MRLs can be fixed at very low levels sometimes even stricter than those set by the Codex Alimentarius.

To ensure better access to EU markets, it is very important to be aware of:

• If there are MRLs for the pesticide used on the exported crops, and
• If your exported crops complies with the standards set.

EU MRLs are established in Directives