. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/EEC/25
8 January 2003
(03-0060)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   European Commission
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:
European Commission,
EC-TBT Enquiry Point,
Fax: 0032 2 299 57 25,
E-mail: ec-tbt@cec.eu.int
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Natural Mineral Waters,
as per Directive 80/777/EEC, last modified by Directive 96/70/CE, and spring waters, as per
Directive 80/778/EEC.
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Commission
Directive establishing the list, concentration limits and labelling requirements for the
constituents of natural mineral waters and the conditions for using ozone-enriched air for
the treatment of natural mineral waters and spring waters – 9 pages, English
6. Description of content:   Measures on the admissible limits of mineral waters’ constituents
and the corresponding labelling requirements as well as on the conditions for using
ozone-enriched air for separating certain compounds from natural mineral waters or spring
waters, and the corresponding labelling requirements.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
Constituents naturally present in certain natural mineral waters may, above a certain
concentration, present a risk to public health. In 1996, the European Union Scientific
Committee for Food issued an opinion on concentration limits and, in several instances,
validated the WHO recommended limits for drinking water.  Additional guidance was
provided by the 1997 revised Codex standard for natural mineral waters, which is based on
the most up-to-date international scientific evidence and on public health considerations.
Framework Directive 80/777/EEC provides for the separation of iron, manganese, sulphur
and arsenic from certain mineral waters using ozone-enriched air treatment, subject to an
assessment by the Scientific Committee for Food and approval of the conditions for use of
this treatment by the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health.  TheG/TBT/N/EEC/25
Page 2
Scientific Committee issued its advice in the previously recalled 1996 opinion.  The
Standing Committee’s opinion is expected by the end of 2002.
The rationale of these measures focuses on guaranteeing to consumers the high quality and
the absence of harmful substances in natural mineral waters.  Moreover, the same quality
guarantees are laid down for spring waters – which, at the EU level, undergo the same
requirements as drinking water – as regards ozone-enriched air treatment, geared to
separation of iron, manganese, sulphur and arsenic.
This draft has also been notified to the WTO Secretariat under the Agreement on
SPS measures.
8. Relevant documents:   Draft Directive
9. Proposed date of adoption:  End of February-March 2003
Proposed date of entry into force:  Implementation by the EU Member States: 1 January
2004 at the latest.
10. Final date for comments:   60 days from date of notification
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:
European Commission,
EC-TBT Enquiry Point,Fax: 0032 2 299 57 25,
E-mail:  ec-tbt@cec.eu.int