The Commission act of 9 June 2026 — CELEX 32026R1206 — was published in the OJ on 10 June 2026 (OJ L, 2026/1206) and entered into force on the twentieth day following publication: 30 June 2026 (Article 2; national cross-check e.g. Irish S.I. No. 283/2026). Article 1 replaces entirely Annexes I and II of Regulation (EU) 2019/1793. Legal bases: Article 53(1)(b)(ii) of Reg. 178/2002 and Article 47(2)(b) plus Article 54(4)(a)–(b) of Reg. 2017/625.
1. The Indian entry: food supplements containing botanicals
Annex II, point 1 (India) lists “Food supplements containing botanicals” (Food) under CN codes ex 1302 and ex 2106. Hazard: pesticide residues (footnote 25) — ethylene oxide as the sum of EO and 2-chloroethanol, expressed as EO. Frequency of identity and physical checks: 10%.
Footnote (28) defines the scope: it covers both finished products and raw materials, except guar gum, containing any botanicals intended for the production of food supplements declared under those CN codes. The act does not publish a “herb list” — it sets a product filter: botanicals in FS / raw material under those CN codes.
2. Annex I vs Annex II — doctrinal spine
Recital (1) of 2026/1206 restates the architecture of Reg. 2019/1793:
- Annex I — temporary increase of official controls at entry into the Union (identity and physical checks at BCPs / control points). The listing alone does not create a pre-export certificate regime.
- Annex II — special conditions for entry due to contamination risk (including mycotoxins, pesticides, microbiology) plus the listed check frequencies.
For Annex II consignments, Article 7 of Reg. 2019/1793 requires entry only under that section’s conditions; Article 10 requires accompanying results of sampling and analyses by the third-country competent authority (for pesticide risk: compliance with Reg. 396/2005); Article 11 requires an official certificate in the Annex IV model (as a rule valid for up to four months from issue, and in any case no longer than six months from the Article 10 results date). Laboratories: ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation.
Recital (9) of 2026/1206 shows the reverse move: India cinnamon was transferred from Annex II to Annex I (20%) because improved compliance meant it was no longer necessary for each consignment to carry an official certificate — while Member States should continue checks at the increased frequency.
3. What 10% ETO means at the BCP
The 10% frequency concerns identity and physical checks at entry. It does not replace the Article 10–11 document duties for every Annex II consignment — those are distinct: (1) special documents with the notification, (2) identity/physical sampling according to the list percentage. Private schemes (ISO 22000, BRC, IFS) do not reduce or suspend that frequency.
| Element | India — FS containing botanicals |
|---|---|
| Annex | II (special conditions) |
| CN | ex 1302, ex 2106 |
| Hazard | Pesticides — ETO (footnote 25) |
| ID/physical frequency | 10% |
| Scope (footnote 28) | Finished + raw materials; except guar gum |
| Documents | Analytical results + official certificate (Arts 10–11) |
4. Article 12 refresh — context, not the thesis
Article 12 of Reg. 2019/1793 requires the Commission to review the lists at intervals not exceeding six months (RASFF + Member State control data). 2026/1206 is such a refresh. For orientation only — not as the article’s thesis — the same package inter alia: Argentina groundnuts → Annex I aflatoxins 20%; Syria tahini/halva → Annex I Salmonella 50%; China xanthan gum → Annex II ETO 20%→10%; India Capsicum aflatoxin Annex I entry deleted; India cumin → Annex I pesticides 50%. Related earlier piece on Syrian tahini/halva controls: EU import controls on tahini and halva from Syria — it does not yet cite 2026/1206.
5. What the act does not decide
- It does not set or amend ethylene oxide MRLs (Reg. 396/2005; for additives — EO use prohibition in Reg. 231/2012, noted in footnote 25).
- It does not authorise, ban or reclassify botanicals / supplements as novel food (Reg. 2015/2283).
- It does not unlock health claims (Reg. 1924/2006).
- It does not replace the general OCR/BCP procedure under Reg. 2017/625 — only the 2019/1793 commodity×origin lists, frequencies and special conditions.
- It is not a national notification decision (e.g. GIS) for placing a product on a Member State market.
6. Importer / FBO checklist
- Map the consignment: origin India? CN ex 1302 / ex 2106? FS or botanical raw material (footnote 28; is it guar gum — exception)?
- Confirm the listing is in Annex II (do not confuse with separate India Annex I rows, e.g. cumin 50%).
- Plan Arts 10–11: accredited ETO testing (sum EO+2-CE) + official certificate with consignment identification code; certificate validity windows.
- Build 10% identity/physical BCP checks into lead time and storage cost planning.
- Do not assume BRC/IFS/ISO “covers” the list frequency.
- Keep separate tracks for MRL (396/2005), novel food, claims (1924/2006) and national notification — 2026/1206 neither closes nor opens them.
Glossary
- Annex I (2019/1793)
- Temporary increase of identity and physical checks at entry — no special certificate regime from the listing alone.
- Annex II (2019/1793)
- Special conditions for entry (including Arts 10–11: analytical results + official certificate) plus check frequencies.
- ETO / EO
- Ethylene oxide; under footnote 25 — sum of EO and 2-chloroethanol, expressed as EO.
- BCP
- Border Control Post (Reg. 2017/625).
- Article 12
- Commission duty to review the Annex lists at least every six months.
Conclusion
After Regulation (EU) 2026/1206, an Indian consignment of food supplements (or raw materials) containing botanicals under CN ex 1302 / ex 2106 — except guar gum — sits in Annex II of Reg. 2019/1793: special entry conditions, Articles 10–11 documents, and ETO checks at 10%. Annex I is a different instrument (frequency increase without a pre-export certificate). The act refreshes lists under Article 12; it does not decide MRLs, novel food or claims. For FBOs the decision starts with filters: origin × CN × botanicals × Annex II — only then the percentage and documents.
Primary sources
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1206 — CELEX 32026R1206; ELI eli/reg_impl/2026/1206/oj; OJ L, 2026/1206, 10.6.2026.
- Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 — Annexes I–II; Articles 7, 10–12.
- Regulation (EU) 2017/625 — OCR; Article 47(2)(b), Article 54(4)(a)–(b).
- Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 — Article 53(1)(b)(ii).
- Irish S.I. No. 283/2026 — national application from 30 June 2026.