Call for expressions of interest to submit toxicological data to review the MRLS of the following non-approved active substances: carbaryl, methoprene, phorate, pyrasulfotole, quinclorac, saflufenacil and terbufos (2nd batch)
EFSA-Q-number: EFSA-Q-2026-00138
Deadline for Call for Expression of Interest: 31 May 2026
Background
In 2026, the European Commission (EC) submitted a request to EFSA, in accordance with Article 43 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, to provide a targeted review of maximum residue levels (MRLs) for the following non-approved active substances: carbaryl, methoprene, phorate, pyrasulfotole, quinclorac, saflufenacil and terbufos. The mandate can be consulted in Open EFSA [SR1] [SN2] ( M-2025-00158).
In March 2021, a Member State submitted to the Commission the results of a screening performed on all maximum residue levels (MRLs) of active substances used in plant protection products that are non-approved in the EU. The list contained 904 substances, and for 78 substances, the MRLs were established either based on formerly approved uses in the EU, on import tolerance requests, or on Codex maximum residue limits (CXLs). In particular, some of these substances were never approved in the EU, or their approval was withdrawn before 2008, and therefore did not fall within the scope of the systematic review of all existing MRLs under Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005. A second Member State conducted additional analysis on the list, identifying some potential consumer risk for some of these active substances, and recommended the inclusion of some additional substances to the original list.
Based on these analyses, in June 2022, the European Commission submitted a request to the EFSA to provide a targeted review for a first batch of ten active substances included in the priority list. Subsequently, in November 2022 the SCoPAFF agreed that seven active substances, for which potential consumer risks were identified, should be addressed as a second batch, i.e., carbaryl, methoprene, phorate, pyrasulfotole, quinclorac, saflufenacil and terbufos.
Overall objective
EFSA is launching a call for expressing interest to provide additional existing data, covering toxicological data gaps identified by EFSA for the following active substances: carbaryl, methoprene, phorate, pyrasulfotole, quinclorac, saflufenacil and terbufos. The toxicological assessment and data gaps identified by EFSA for each specific active substance are listed in the file ‘Screening of toxicological information for non-approved active substances and data gaps identification’. It is noted that only studies finalised by the date of launch of this call of interest and complying with existing (most recent) data requirements, will be considered eligible for the assessment.
The data owner/data provider should inform EFSA on the availability of additional existing toxicological data by compiling the survey here provided: EU survey
Subsequently, the data owner/data provider who expressed interest in submitting data, will be invited by EFSA to submit the concerned data in a follow-up step after closure of this consultation.
Deadline for submission of interest via EU Survey
Interested parties and stakeholders should express their interest to submit data via EU Survey tool by 31 May 2026.
Correspondence
Please address any enquiries to RAL [at] efsa.europa.eu (RAL[at]efsa[dot]europa[dot]eu), and please remember to include “Call for expressions of interest to submit data to review the MRLs (2nd batch) (EFSA-Q-2026-00138)” in the title of your email.