. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/EEC/156
27 February 2002
(02-0974)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission, Directorate-General for Health and Consumer
Protection
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable).
Chemically defined flavouring substances for use in foodstuffs  Regions or countries likely to
be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  EC member States and third countries
trading with the European Communities
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Draft Commission Regulation
establishing deadlines for the submission of information for the evaluation of chemically
defined flavouring substances used in or  on foodstuffs (Doc. SANCO/2891/2001 rev 2)
(3 pages)
5. Description of content:  Draft legal text notified hereby (Doc. SANCO/2891/2001 rev 2)
concerns the adoption of a timetable for the submission of information necessary for the
evaluation of the flavouring substances contained in the Community register according to a
pre-established evaluation programme.
The objective is to facilitate trade by promoting  and ensuring the most efficient use of
resources for the evaluation of the conformity of the flavouring substances as contained in the
Community register.
(For further background see below)
A Community register of flavouring substances used in or on foodstuffs was adopted by
Commission Decision 1999/217/EC ( Official Journal No. L84 of 27 March 1999 pp:1-137).
This register has been modified later by:
• Decision 2000/498 ( Official Journal No. L197 of 3 August 2000 pp: 53-56 ) notified as
G/SPS/N/EEC/77 dated 14 January 2002;  and
• Document SANCO/0847/2001 rev.1-2, and Annex 1, notified as G/SPS/N/EEC/132/Add.1
dated 1 November 2001.  (The legal draft has become now official but its publication on
the Official Journal will only take place around mid-February.).
The evaluation programme was set by Commission Regulation (EC) N° 1565/2000, ( Official
Journal No. L180, 19 July 2000, pp:8-16) notified as G/SPS/N/EEC/78 dated 2 March 2000.G/SPS/N/EEC/156
Page 2
6. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [     ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [     ] protect territory from other
damage from pests
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations: For a number of substances  technical background
was available from or under discussion by the Council of Europe, JECFA (Joint FAO/WHOExpert Committee on Food Additives) and Codex Alimentarius Commission.  In order to avoid
duplication of work, existing data are as much as possible taken into consideration within the
evaluation process.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  European Commission
Document SANCO/2891/2001 rev 2, dd. 1.2.2002) (Available in English, translations under
preparation)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  End March 2002
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  End March 2002
11. Final date for comments:  15 March 2002
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification authority,
[ X ] EC enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other
body:
12. Texts available from: [     ] National notification authority, [  X ] EC enquiry point or
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
The Official Journal of the European Communities is available in Eur-Lex at:
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex