. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/EEC/26
10 March 2003
(03-1341)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   European Commission
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:
European Commission
EC-TBT Enquiry Point
Fax: 0032 2 299 57 25
E-mail: ec-tbt@cec.eu.int
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [     ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:
The TBT Agreement would not seem to require notification of the measure. However, the
European Communities wish to make a notification for transparency purposes
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Preserved  sardines and
sardine-type products, as per Codex Alimentarius Standard Codex STAN 94
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Commission
Regulation amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 2136/89 Laying down Common
Marketing Standards for Preserved Sardines – (5 pages, in English)
6. Description of content:   Rules on the trade description of preserved sardines and sardine-
type products marketed in the territory of the European Communities.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
The objectives of the measure are to provide accurate information to consumers and to
prevent deceptive practices, as well as to promote market transparency, fair competition,
and variety of choice.
The widening variety of supply of sardine-type products in the territory of the EU makes it
necessary to lay down marketing rules aiming at providing consumers with sufficient
information on the identity and the main characteristics of the products. In so doing, the
Codex Alimentarius standard Codex STAN 94 is used as a basis for the new common trade
description, taking into account the particular conditions prevailing on the Communitymarket.G/TBT/N/EEC/26
Page 2
In particular, the measure intends to regulate the use of the name “sardine” in the marketing
of preserved sardines and sardine-type products presented in the same way as preserved
sardines. The name “sardine” traditionally designates fish of the species Sardina Pilchardus
(Walbaum) , and it is recognized as such by European consumers. As a result, it can be used
to designate other fish species only if appropriately qualified. The envisaged tradedescriptions are intended to ensure an appropriate level of consumer information about the
specific varieties of sardine-type fish that are marketed in preserved form in the same way
as sardines, and to maintain the wide availability and diversity of sardine-type products
currently marketed in the EU.
8. Relevant documents:   Draft Regulation
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: }April 2003
10. Final date for comments:   19 March 2003
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:
European Commission
EC-TBT Enquiry Point
Fax: 0032 2 299 80 43E-mail: ec-tbt@cec.eu.int