. /. WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/BEL/8 
23 October 2002 
 (02-5825) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   French 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  BELGIUM  
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible: 
Ministry of Small Enterprises, Traders and Agriculture 
Directorate for the Quality of Raw Materials and the Plant Sector  
Raw Material Quality and Analysis Service  
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):  Animal feed (cattle feed, premixtures and mixed feed), whether or not they 
contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Royal Decree Amending 
the Royal Decree of 8 February 1999 on Trade in and the Use of Substances for Animal Feed.  
6. Description of content:  Given that the adventitious or technically unavoidable 
contamination of mixed feed and/or cattle feed with genetically modified organisms 
(GMOs) can not be excluded in practice (interna tional trade in cattle feed), for example, as a 
result of the cultivation, harvest, transport, st orage or treatment of these products, there is a 
need for a percentage threshold for the adve ntitious or technically unavoidable presence of 
genetically modified organisms in cattle feed, premixtures and mixed feed to be established 
immediately. This would prevent labelling errors and thus disruption in the cattle feed and mixed feed market.  
7. Objective and rationale: [    ] food safety,  [  X ] animal health,  [    ] plant protection, 
[ X ] 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:  
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  To be published in 
the Moniteur Belge  (Official Journal) of the Kingdom of Belgium when adopted (available 
in French and Dutch).  G/SPS/N/BEL/8 
Page 2  
 
 10. Proposed date of adoption:  
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Immediately upon publication  
12. Final date for comments:  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [  X ] National notification 
authority, [    ] National enquiry point, or add ress, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:  
13. Texts available from:  [    ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry 
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:   
Ministry of Small Enterprises, Traders and Agriculture 
Directorate for the Quality of Raw Materials and the Plant Sector  Raw Material Quality and Analysis Service WTC III - Boulevard Simon Bolivar 30 
B - 1000 Brussels 
Tel.:  + 32 2 208-3861 Fax:  + 32 2 208-3866