On 20 July 2026, the European Commission adopted a delegated regulation amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2090 to clarify and strengthen enforcement actions when withdrawal periods, maximum residue limits, or maximum levels are not respected, and in cases of illegal treatment of food-producing animals. The new rules impose mandatory disposal of non-compliant products from already-slaughtered animals and extend cross-border administrative assistance to withdrawal period violations.
The amendment, adopted by the Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), introduces several key changes. If an official veterinarian suspects or has evidence that slaughtered animals were treated without respecting the withdrawal period, they must declare carcases, meat, offal, and by-products unfit for human consumption and order their disposal as category 2 material under Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009. For mixed batches where non-compliant products are incorporated with compliant ones, the same disposal rule applies if the non-compliant products can be isolated. If isolation is not possible, the competent authority must assess risks and may restrict market placement, order increased operator controls, or order recall, withdrawal, removal, and destruction.
The regulation also introduces a new Article 4(-1) requiring competent authorities to carry out appropriate measures or investigations where the withdrawal period is not respected and the animal is already slaughtered. Following investigation, all unprocessed and processed products of animal origin concerned must be declared unfit and disposed of as category 2 material (new Article 4a). Additionally, Article 9 extends administrative assistance rules to non-compliance with the withdrawal period, requiring notification and requests for assistance between Member States. All references to the repealed Directive 2001/82/EC are replaced by references to Regulation (EU) 2019/6.
The regulation enters into force on the twentieth day after publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It directly impacts competent authorities in all EU Member States, which must implement the new enforcement procedures, and operators in the food and feed chain, who face stricter obligations and potential disposal costs. Consumers stand to benefit from reduced exposure to veterinary drug residues. The amendment represents a moderate tightening of EU food safety enforcement, with no prior coverage on this file in the last 180 days.