In 2026, the European Union continues to improve measures aimed at protecting public health, whereby food safety and reducing the environmental consequences of the use of plant protection products are among the key priorities. In recent years, there has been a systematic tightening of the requirements regarding the way pesticides are controlled. The implemented regulations imply regular verification of active substances, updates of maximum residue levels and increasing inclusion of environmental criteria in decision-making processes. This process is part of the implementation of the objectives of the European Green Deal, the “Farm to Fork” strategy and the biodiversity strategy, which together aim to reduce the risks associated with the use of chemical plant protection agents, while maintaining a high level of product safety.
The pesticide residue control system currently in force in the European Union is among the most restrictive in the world. Each active substance used in agriculture is subject to a detailed risk assessment carried out by the rapporteur Member State, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Commission. In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, approval can only be maintained if it is demonstrated that the substance does not pose an unacceptable risk to human health, animal health or the environment.
New legal regulations
Maximum pesticide residue levels (MRLs) – defined in Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 – are constantly updated based on new toxicological data, monitoring results and assessments carried out by EU scientific bodies. In 2026, further changes and new provisions entered into force (Table 1). For certain substances, the new limits (MDK) are practically reduced to the analytical limit of quantification (LOQ).
For food industry operators, this means that plant protection products that were previously approved for use now require special monitoring, and importers, farmers and distributors must check compliance with the applicable food law requirements.
Active substance withdrawal process and new challenges for manufacturers and distributors
At the same time, there is a process of withdrawal of active substances that no longer meet new safety requirements or for which insufficient data are presented to support their continued use (Table 2 and Table 3), which leads to the need to search for alternative methods of crop protection, increasing interest in biological products and accelerating the development of integrated pest management (IPM).
As a result, the agri-food sector is currently facing one of the biggest challenges in recent years – harmonizing the efficiency of agricultural production with the requirements of consumer health protection, environmental protection and sustainable development. These changes are forcing the industry to ensure that every product entering commercial trade is checked for chemical purity. Special operational supervision includes:
• monitoring the presence of pesticide residues in food during the raw material supply phase
• conducting regular laboratory analyses, especially for fruits, vegetables and cereals that represent a higher level of risk
• verification of products originating from third countries and outside the European Union, where guidelines regarding the use of agrochemicals may be less restrictive.
Renewal and extension of approval for active substances
The year 2026 is also a period of significant procedural changes in renewals and extensions of the approval of active substances (Table 4 and Table 5). The European Commission is taking measures to simplify the process of evaluating active substances, reduce administrative delays and focus regulatory efforts more intensively on substances that pose the greatest risk to human health.
Table 1. MRL Changes in 2026
| Active Substance | Product | Previous MRL (mg/kg) | New MRL (mg/kg) | Date of Change |
| Acequinocyl | Strawberries | 0.01 | 0.3 | 11.02.2026 |
| Chlormequat (sum of chlormequat and its salts, expressed as chlormequat chloride) | Common oats | 15 | 30 | 11.02.2026 |
| Metalaxyl and metalaxyl-M (metalaxyl including other mixtures of constituent isomers, including metalaxyl-M (sum of isomers)) | Honey and other apiculture products | 0.05 | 0.1 | 11.02.2026 |
| Pyraclostrobin | Sweet corn | 0.04 | 0.09 | 11.02.2026 |
| Sulfoxaflor (sum of isomers) | Fruiting vegetables (okra) | 0.01 | 0.07 | 11.02.2026 |
| Lettuces and salad vegetables (lamb’s lettuce, endive, cress and other sprouts and shoots, land cress, wild rocket/arugula, brown mustard, young/small leaf vegetables) | 0.01 | 0.7 | 11.02.2026 | |
| Other leaf vegetables (purslane, chard, watercress) | 0.01 | 0.7 | 11.02.2026 | |
| Herbs, edible flowers (chervil, chives, parsley leaves, sage, rosemary, thyme, common basil and edible flowers, laurel/bay leaves, tarragon) | 0.02 | 0.7 | 11.02.2026 | |
| Trifloxystrobin | Table olives and olives for oil production | 0.3 | 0.5 | 11.02.2026 |
| Stem vegetables: Celery | 1 | 15 | ||
| Stem vegetables: Globe artichokes | 0.3 | 0.5 | ||
| Stem vegetables: Leeks | 0.7 | 0.9 | ||
| Linseed | 0.01 | 0.4 | ||
| Olives for oil production | 0.3 | 0.5 | ||
| Herbal infusions from flowers, leaves, and herbs | 0.05 | 30 | ||
| Seed spices | 0.05 | 50 | ||
| Clothianidin | All current MRLs for clothianidin and thiamethoxam set out in Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 reduced to the limit of quantification. | 07.03.2026 | ||
| Thiamethoxam | ||||
| Flupyradifurone (error correction) | Pineapples | 0.01 | 0.3 | 21.04.2026 |
| Sunflower seeds | 0.7 | 0.8 | ||
| Potassium phosphonates (error correction) | Lettuces and salad vegetables (lamb’s lettuce, endive, cress and other sprouts and shoots, land cress, wild rocket/arugula, brown mustard, young/small leaf vegetables) | 150 | 200 | 21.04.2026 |
| Other leaf vegetables: Purslane | 100 | 200 | ||
| Other leaf vegetables: Chard | 70 | 200 | ||
| Other leaf vegetables: Watercress | 1.5 | 90 | ||
| Globe artichokes | 100 | 150 | ||
| Poppy seeds | 1.5 | 200 | ||
| Cereals (barley, oats, rye) | 1.5 | 80 | ||
| Benfluralin | All current MRLs set out in Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 reduced to the limit of quantification | 12.08.2026 | ||
| Benthiavalicarb (sum of benthiavalicarb-isopropyl (KIF-230) and its RS enantiomer (KIF-230 S-D)) | All current MRLs set out in Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 reduced to the limit of quantification | 12.08.2026 | ||
| Penflufen (sum of isomers) | All current MRLs set out in Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 reduced to the limit of quantification | 12.08.2026 | ||
| Dimoxystrobin | All current MRLs set out in Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 reduced to the limit of quantification | 19.08.2026 | ||
| Ethephon*) | Apples | 0.8 | 0.7 | 19.08.2026 |
| Fruits (e.g., strawberries, berries, currants, gooseberries, citrus fruits, bananas) | 0.05 | 0.01 | ||
| Blueberries | 20 | 0.01 | ||
| Vegetables (excluding tomatoes) | 0.05 | 0.01 | ||
| Herbs, edible flowers | 0.05 | 0.02 | ||
| Propamocarb | Lettuces | 40 | 30 | 19.08.2026 |
*) The changes also apply to the categories: spices, tea, coffee, herbal infusions, cocoa, and milk
Table 2. Active Substances Withdrawn in 2026
| Active Substance | Ban on Use From | Application / Use | Reason for Withdrawal of Approval |
| Flufenacet | 10.12.2026 | Control of monocotyledonous weeds (cereals, soy, potatoes) | Endocrine disrupting properties; groundwater contamination and risk to drinking water (TFA) |
Table 3. Expiration of Approvals in 2026
| Active Substance | Expiry Date | Application / Use |
| Methoxyfenozide | 31.03.2026 | Insecticide used in the protection of maize crops and fruit orchards (e.g., apple, plum trees) |
Table 4. Pesticide Approval Renewals in 2026
| Active Substance | Date of Application |
| Maltodextrin | 03.03.2041 |
| Spinosad | 01.04.2041 |
| Pyrimethanil | 30.04.2041 |
Table 5. Pesticide Approval Extensions in 2026 (Regulation 2026/372)
| Active Substance | Extension Date | Active Substance | Extension Date |
| 1-Decanol | 30.06.2028 | Fluazifop-P | 30.11.2029 |
| 1-Naphthylacetamide | 30.11.2029 | Fluazinam | 30.11.2027 |
| 1-Naphthylacetic acid | 30.11.2029 | Fluometuron | 15.01.2030 |
| 6-Benzyladenine | 15.01.2030 | Fluopyram | 15.06.2028 |
| Aluminium sulfate | 15.01.2030 | Flutolanil | 15.06.2027 |
| Boscalid | 31.03.2028 | Geraniol | 15.04.2028 |
| Dodine | 30.06.2028 | Malathion | 15.07.2028 |
| Esfenvalerate | 30.11.2029 | Penoxsulam | 15.05.2027 |
| Eugenol | 15.04.2028 | Pinoxaden | 31.12.2029 |
| Fenpyroximate | 31.01.2028 | Prohexadione | 15.05.2028 |
Laboratory analysis of pesticide residues in food
At a time of dynamic legal changes and growing pressure from retail chains, the manufacturer’s declaration of proper treatment with plant protection products may not provide a sufficient guarantee of safety. In order to reduce the risk of a batch of goods being rejected by commercial quality checks, systematic and independent product monitoring is recommended.
In SP Laboratorija, comprehensive testing of pesticide residues in, among others, fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs, grains and processed products is available. The testing laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art analytical equipment of chromatographic technique, which enables accurate detection and identification of several chemical substances simultaneously, taking into account the lowest limits of quantification required by legal regulations. We support manufacturers and distributors in checking product compliance with applicable standards, ensuring process transparency and consumer safety at every stage of distribution.
