.  /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/EEC/62
13 August 1998
(98-3175)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  EUROPEAN COMMUNITY
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:   European Commission - Directorate General for Agriculture
3. Products covered (tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules deposited
with the WTO.  ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):
citrus pulp
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:   Commission Directive 98/60/EC of
24 July 1998 amending Council Directive 74/63/EEC on the fixing of maximum permitted
levels for undesirable substances and products in feedingstuffs (3 pages).
5. Description of content:  Fixing of a maximum limit for dioxins (sum of PCDD and PCDF,
expressed in International Toxic Equivalents) in citrus pulp at 500 picograms 1-TEQ/kg.
(upper bound detection limit).
6. Objective and rationale: Citrus pulp pellets were found to be contaminated by dioxins at
such high levels which pose a risk to human health.  Citrus pulp is used as feed material.Feedingstuffs contaminated by dioxin result in dioxin contamination of food products of
animal origin.  Dioxins are classified as carcinogenic substances to humans by relevant
international organizations (IARC, WHO).  WHO (1998) recommend that every effort
should be made to reduce exposure to the lowest possible level.  It is therefore appropriate
to prohibit the use of citrus pulp pellets contaminated at unacceptable levels as feedingstuffand for the production of compound feedingstuff.
7. Nature of the urgent problem(s):   Very high levels of dioxins were determined in citrus
pulp pellets consigned from Brazil.  The sources of contamination have not yet been
determined with sufficient certainty and therefore no guarantees exist for the moment that
the possible sources of contamination have been removed from the production process of
citrus pulp pellets.  It is therefore necessary, in order to safeguard animal and public health,
to fix provisionally a maximum limit for dioxins which will be reviewed before1 January 1999 according to the availability of evidence concerning the sources of
contamination or of a scientific risk assessment.
8. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [ X ].
If an international standard, guideline or  recommendation exists, whenever possible,
identify deviations:           G/SPS/N/EEC/62
Page 2
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Commission 
Directive 98/60/EC amending Council Dire ctive 74/63/EEC on the fixing of maximum 
permitted levels for undesirable substances and products in feedingstuffs.  Available in 
European Community languages (FR, EN, ES, DK, D, EL, IT, NL, PT, SV, FI).
10. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable): Third day following its
publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities (published on
25 July 1998).  The measure applies from 1 August 1998 and will be reviewed before1 January 1999.
11. Texts available from/and agency or authority designated to handle comments:
National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telefax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body: