Italian MEP Anna Maria Cisint (Patriots for Europe) has called on the European Commission to overhaul import food-safety rules, urging automatic alignment of maximum residue levels (MRLs) for products from third countries with EU bans on pesticides. In a parliamentary question dated 3 June 2026, Cisint cited a Foodwatch report that found residues of EU-banned pesticides in 14 foodstuffs sold in France, Germany and Austria, including a brand of Thai rice. The MEP argued that the findings expose weaknesses in the EU's monitoring system and safeguard mechanisms, undermining the principle of reciprocity with trading partners.
Cisint's question contains two concrete demands. First, she asks how the Commission intends to prioritise protection of European rice through the monitoring system and measures in the 'food and feed safety' omnibus package currently under negotiation. Second, she asks whether the Commission considers it useful, pending final revision of the rules, to implement a system for verifying alternative substances that is compatible with safeguarding the potential yield and strategic role of agricultural districts such as rice-producing areas.
The question signals a push for stricter import standards that would affect EU consumers, who would gain higher food-safety guarantees, and third-country producers, who would face tighter export requirements. EU rice farmers would benefit from reduced competition from imports with lower pesticide standards, while EU food importers and distributors could face higher compliance costs and potential supply disruptions. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks; its answer will indicate whether it leans toward tighter import controls or maintains flexibility for trading partners. Cisint's intervention aligns with a broader debate in the European Parliament about reciprocity in food-safety rules, with some MEPs advocating for stronger enforcement and others warning against trade barriers.