. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/BEL/10 
14 September 2004 
 (04-3819) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  BELGIUM
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible:   
Federal Public Service for Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment 
DG Animals, Plants and Foodstuffs Rue Montagne de l'Oratoire 20, box 3 B-1010 Brussels sps.belgium@health.fgov.be
 
Tel: +32 2 210 48 43 
Fax: +32 2 210 48 16 
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):  Cocoa beans (CN 1801), cocoa paste (1803) and derived foodstuffs  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  All 
countries and especially those exporting cocoa to Belgium  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Royal Decree modifying 
the royal decree of 13 March 2000 fixing maximu m residue levels in foodstuffs (available 
in French and Dutch, 3 pages).  
6. Description of content:  The maximum residue level of lindane in coca beans and cocoa 
paste is reduced to 0.1 mg/kg (as is basis).  After deletion of the Codex MRL, the withdrawal of all authorized uses in the EU and subsequent reduction in EU MRLs in most 
foodstuffs (cocoa is not included in the EU lis t of foodstuffs with pesticide MRLs), it was 
considered to be time to adapt the Belgian MR L for lindane in cocoa beans and reduce it to 
the ALARA-level (as low as reasonably achievable).  
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   
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation: 
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] Office International des Epizooties, 
[   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [ X ] None 
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:  Codex MRL has been deleted.  G/SPS/N/BEL/10 
Page 2  
 
 9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Draft Royal Decree 
(French and Dutch) 
Royal Decree of 13 March 2000 fixing maximu m residue levels in foodstuffs (French and 
Dutch). 
Publication in the Moniteur Belge (Belgische Staatsblad).  
10. Proposed date of adoption:  End of 2004.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  2005.  
12. Final date for comments:  Sixty (60) days after the date of notification. 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [  X ] European Community 
notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail 
address (if available) of other body:  
Belgian SPS Contact Point 
sps.belgium@health.fgov.be  
Tel: +32 2 210 48 43 Fax: +32 2 210 48 16 
Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment 
DG Animals, Plants and Foodstuffs Rue Montagne de l'Oratoire 20, box 3 B-1010 Belgium Brussels  
13. Texts available from:  [  X ] National notification authority, [    ] European Community 
enquiry point, or address, fax number and E- mail address (if available) of other body:  
Belgian SPS Contact Point 
sps.belgium@health.fgov.be  
Tel: +32 2 210 48 43 Fax: +32 2 210 48 16 Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment DG Animals, Plants and Foodstuffs 
Rue Montagne de l'Oratoire 20, box 3 
B-1010 Belgium Brussels