. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/EEC/151
14 February 2002
(02-0758)
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).  Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) circulating under TARIC position  0705.  Regions
or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  The proposed
would affect mostly lettuces mostly produced within the European Communities.
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document: Draft Commission Regulation
amending Regulation (EC) N° 466/2001 of 8 March 2001 setting maximum levels for
certain contaminants in foodstuffs (3 pages)
5.Description of content:
Commission Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 setting maximum levels for certain
contaminants in foodstuffs (OJ L77, 16 March 2001, p.1) notified the 25 October 2000
(G/SPS/N/EEC/100) replaces Commission Regulation (EC) No 194/97 setting maximum
levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs (OJ L31, 1 February 1997 p. 48) notified the
14 October 1996 (G/SPS/N/EEC/35) and requires Me mber States to carry monitoring of the
nitrate content of lettuces and spinach.  Based on the results of such a monitoring, the draft
Regulation notified hereby establishes revised maximum levels for nitrate in lettuce with the
aim reducing these to the lowest level that is reasonably achievable (ALARA principle).
The maximum level for nitrate in fresh lettuce grown in the winter in open air is reduced
from 4500 mg/kg to 4000 mg/kg.  The maximum level for lettuce grown in the open airfrom April to September is set at 2500 mg/kg whereas previously this level applied only to
the months May to August.  Separate maximum levels are set for nitrate in iceberg lettuce:
2500 mg/kg for iceberg grown in the winter and 2000 mg/kg for iceberg grown in the
summer (the levels of nitrate in iceberg lettuce were found to be consistently much lower
than in other lettuce).
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:G/SPS/N/EEC/151
Page 2
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: European
Commission Document SANCO/3678 /01 rev3 (Available in all official EC languages)
9. Proposed date of adoption by the European Parliament and the Council:  April 2002
10. Proposed date of entry into force: 5 April 2002
11. Final date for comments:  28 February 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: