. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/EEC/232 
26 January 2004 
 (04-0274) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:   Commission of the European Communities. Health & Consumer 
Protection Directorate-General  Directorate E – Food Safety: Plant Health, Animal Health and Welfare, International questions 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable):  Food additives (colours) (ICS 67.220.20) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable:  
Member States of the European Communiti es (EC) and third countries exporting the 
products concerned to the EC.  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Draft Commission 
Directive../.../EC amending Directive 95/45/EC  as regards Mixed Carotenes (E160a(i)) and 
Beta-Carotene (E160a(ii)) (SANCO/5345/2003, 12 pages) 
6. Description of content:  This draft sets the technical specifications for a number of food 
additives currently covered by EP and Council Directive 94/36/EC. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection, 
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or  disease, [   ] protec t territory from other 
damage from pests:   Adoption of the purity criteria whic h will then become of a mandatory 
nature 
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health, 
[   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:   Where they exist, the draft is based on the 
specifications established by international bodies (JECFA  (Joint FAO/WHO Expert 
Committee on Food Additives)). In other cases, they have been prepared on the basis of the 
technical and safety data available. 
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  European 
Commission Document (Doc SANCO/5345/2003, available in all Community languages).  
When adopted it will be published at the Official Journal available at:  
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/oj/index.html.  
10. Proposed date of adoption:   April 2004 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   20 days after publication in  the Official Journal of the 
European Union G/SPS/N/EEC/232 
Page 2  
 
 12. Final date for comments:  Sixty (60) days after th e date of notification 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] EC notification authority, 
[   ] EC enquiry point, or address, fax nu mber and E-mail address (if available) of other 
body:    
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notifica tion authority, [ X ] EC enquiry point, or 
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
The Opinion of the Scientific committee on Food about the additives is available at: 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/f ood/fs/sc/scf/outcome_en.html  
The outcome of the evaluation of additives made  by the Scientific Committee on food for the 
extraction of beta-carotene from Blakeslea tris pora (expressed on 5 March 2003) is available 
at: 
http://europa.eu.int/comm /food/fs/sc/scf/out165_en.pdf