Maximum residue limits (MRL)

The maximum residue limit (MRL) is the highest concentration allowed for a residue in a food product obtained from an animal that has received a veterinary medicine or that has been exposed to a product used to kill or control germs or pests affecting animals.
VeterinaryMaximum residue limit

EMA's Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products (CVMP) is responsible for recommending MRLs. These become legally binding food safety standards when adopted by the European Commission.

European Union (EU) law requires that foodstuffs such as meat, milk or eggs do not contain residue levels of veterinary medicines or biocidal products (used to kill or control germs or pests affecting animals) that may represent a hazard to consumer health.

Regulation (EC) No 470/2009 lays down the rules and procedures to establish MRLs.

EMA provides guidance on establishing MRLs and how companies must submit an application.

EU countries monitor the levels of residues to ensure consumer safety.

For more information, see:

In this section

Human dietary exposure assessments

EMA's an EFSA's common approach to assessing human dietary exposure to residues from veterinary medicines, feed additives and pesticides

Publication of information on MRLs

EMA makes available all documents related to MRL assessments for a certain substance. To find all MRL pages published on this website, see:

MRL establishment

EMA and the European Commission make the following information on the MRL establishment publicly available:

  • Short statement in the CVMP meeting highlights - this short statement announces that an opinion recommending the establishment of an MRL has been adopted.
  • The recommendation to the European Commission - EMA publishes the CVMP summary opinion promptly after adoption of the CVMP opinion and related European Public Maximum‑Residue‑Limit Assessment Report (EPMAR); this summary includes the recommendation that is transmitted to the European Commission.
  • Adopted CVMP opinion on the establishment of an MRL and related EPMAR - the CVMP opinion is a scientific opinion recommending the establishment of an MRL for a substance; the EPMAR was formerly known as a summary report; EMA publishes the CVMP opinion and the EPMAR as a single document.
  • Summaries of assessment of 'chemical-unlike' biological substances - they are substances other than active principles of biological origin used in immunological veterinary medicines; chemical-unlike substances contain multiple chemical types; their residues can be cells, amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, nucleic acids and their breakdown products.
  • Adopted MRL - on the basis of the CVMP summary opinion, the European Commission adopts a legally binding Commission Regulation establishing the MRL.

CVMP summary opinions on MRL evaluations are only published for substances evaluated after the entry into force of Regulation (EC) No 470/2009 on 6 July 2009. For all other substances, EPMARs  are available.

These practices are in line with EMA's transparency strategy.

For more information, see:

Page update history

An update log is available to show the date and summary of changes to this webpage. It does not include updates to linked documents or minor edits like typos or broken link fixes.

The tracking of updates begins in April 2026.

8 April 2026

Content revamped to create dedicated pages on submitting an MRL application, substances exempt from maximum residue limit evaluation, and questions and answers on MRLs.

Section on publication of information related MRLs updated to reflect the revamp.

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