4.9.2015   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 231/7

(1)

Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 470/2009 requires that the maximum residue limit (hereinafter ‘MRL’) for pharmacologically active substances intended for use in the Union in veterinary medicinal products for food-producing animals or in biocidal products used in animal husbandry is established in a regulation.

(2)

Table 1 of the Annex to Commission Regulation (EU) No 37/2010 (2) sets out the pharmacologically active substances and their classification regarding MRLs in foodstuffs of animal origin.

(3)

Virginiamycin is not yet included in this table.

(4)

An application for the establishment of MRLs for virginiamycin in chicken has been submitted to the European Medicines Agency (hereinafter ‘EMA’).

(5)

The EMA, based on the opinion of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use, has recommended the establishment of a MRL for virginiamycin in chicken, applicable to muscle, skin and fat, liver and kidney, provided that the substance is not used for animals from which eggs are produced for human consumption.

(6)

According to Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 470/2009 the EMA is to consider using MRLs established for a pharmacologically active substance in a particular foodstuff for another foodstuff derived from the same species, or MRLs established for a pharmacologically active substance in one or more species for other species.

(7)

The EMA has considered that the extrapolation of the MRL for virginiamycin from chicken to poultry is appropriate.

(8)

Regulation (EU) No 37/2010 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(9)

It is appropriate to grant the stakeholders concerned a reasonable period of time to take measures that may be required to comply with the new MRL.

(10)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Veterinary Medicinal Products,