The French health safety agency has cleared the use of phosphine pesticide in contact with grains exported outside the European Union when importing countries require the process.

That averted a halt to shipments from the EU’s top grain exporter.

In late October, the agency cleared the use of phosphine tablets used for killing pests through fumigation, but said they could not be “in direct contact with cereals,” thereby threatening exports to some of France’s largest markets, including Algeria, Egypt and Morocco.

The ban on direct contact of phosphine with cereals was due to take effect on April 25th.

But after government intervention, the agency amended the authorization to include a reference to an EU regulation that says that maximum residue limits for pesticides do not apply to non-EU country exports if it is possible to demonstrate that the treatments are required or accepted.