. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/EEC/215
9 October 2003
(03-5333)
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:   Commission of the European Communities. Health & Consumer
Protection Directorate-General  Directorate D – Food Safety: production and distribution
chain
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where
applicable):  Regenerated Cellulose film (TARIC position 3921 14).  ICS number:  67.250
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
Member States of the European Communities (EEC) and third countries exporting the
products concerned to the EEC.
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Draft Commission
Directive amending Directive 93/10/EEC relating to materials and articles made of
regenerated cellulose film intended to come into contact with foodstuffs
(SANCO/2002/10055, 8 pages)
6. Description of content:  This proposal sets rules for a new type of regenerated cellulose
film coated with plastics.  At the same time revises the list of authorised substances of
Directive 93/10/EEC to take into account of some technological and scientific
developments.
7. 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:   To facilitate trade  of a new type of  regenerated cellulose film coated
with plastics which is compostable and biodegradable.
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [ X ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  European
Commission Document SANCO/ 2002/10055 (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:   15 January 2004G/SPS/N/EEC/215
Page 2
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   15 February 2004
12. Final date for comments:  Sixty (60) days after the date of notification.
Further to this, comments will be welcome at any time and they will be considered at the
occasion of a new modification of Directive 93/ 10/EEC relating to materials and articles
made of regenerated cellulose film intended to come into contact with foodstuffs.
Agency or authority designated to handle co mments:  [ X ] EC notification authority,
[   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of
other body:
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority,  [ X ] EC enquiry point, or
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:   F u r t h e r  to this
proposal (Document SANCO/2002/10055), s upplementary information about contact
materials can be found on the Internet address of the General Directorate for Health andConsumer Protection at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sfp/food_contact/index_en.html  as well as on that of the
EC Joint Research Center on Food Contact Materials at http://cpf.jrc.it/webpack/