On 06 October 2026, the Embassy of Sri Lanka to the European Union in Belgium, the Department of Commerce of Sri Lanka and the EU-funded AGRINFO programme, implemented by the Committee Linking for Entrepreneurship, Agriculture and Development (COLEAD), jointly hosted an educational webinar for Sri Lankan public and private sector stakeholders in the agri-food export industry. The session focused on recent updates to the European Union’s pesticide Maximum Residue Level (MRL) policy and their potential impact on Sri Lanka’s agri-food exports.
The webinar commenced with introductory remarks by the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the European Union, Chandana Weerasena, and the Director General of Commerce, Somasena Mahadiulwewa, who highlighted the importance of keeping Sri Lankan exporters informed of evolving EU regulatory requirements and strengthening preparedness to maintain access to the EU market.
The technical session was delivered by the Policy and Law Lead Expert at COLEAD, Dr. Chris Downes, who provided an overview of the EU process for establishing pesticide MRLs and explained recent policy developments.
Dr. Downes introduced the AGRINFO MRL Tracker, a tool designed to monitor sector-specific changes to EU MRL requirements and anticipate regulatory developments. He demonstrated its practical use in identifying applicable MRLs for different products in the EU market. Participants were also briefed on increased EU import controls and the potential consequences of non-compliance with MRL requirements.
Particular attention was given to EU discussions in 2026 on possible new rules concerning MRLs for imported food products, including the reasons for the discussions, proposals under consideration, anticipated timelines and potential implications for Sri Lankan exporters.
The webinar also examined recent pesticide-related measures introduced by France and Poland, highlighting how national-level developments may affect exporters alongside EU-wide regulatory requirements.
The presentation was followed by an interactive question-and-answer session, during which participants raised questions on the practical implications of changing MRL requirements, monitoring regulatory developments and preparing Sri Lankan export sectors for potential changes affecting agricultural products.
The webinar was moderated by the Minister (Commercial) at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Belgium, Thavishya Mullegamgoda, who emphasised the importance of continued cooperation among Sri Lankan government institutions, the private sector and European partners to ensure that exporters remained informed and prepared to comply with evolving EU food safety and regulatory requirements.
The webinar was organised as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Sri Lanka’s trade engagement with the European Union and support the competitiveness and sustainability of Sri Lankan agri-food exports in the European market.
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Brussels, the Department of Commerce of Sri Lanka and COLEAD’s AGRINFO programme will continue to facilitate access to relevant information and support stakeholders in understanding and responding to developments in EU agricultural and food safety regulations.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Belgium
12 October 2026
