G/SPS/N/EU/466  
 
15 March 2021  
(21-2103) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  EUROPEAN UNION  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission, Health and Food Safety Directorate -
General  
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):  Citrus fruits, po me fruits, stone fruits, table olives, kiwi fruits, 
bananas, mangoes papayas and pineapples, berries and small fruits, tree nuts, radishes, 
tropical roots and tubers, parsley roots, turnips, beetroots, celeriac, bulb vegetables 
(except garlic), fruiting ve getables, brassica vegetables, leafy vegetables (except 
spinaches and similar leaves, mustard seedlings and fresh herbs), legume vegetables, 
stem vegetables, fungi, pulses, oilseeds (except soy beans), rye, barley, rice , quinoa, 
wheat bran, wheat gluten, durum wheat, young child formula, drinks for infants and 
young children labelled and sold as such and salt  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Commission Regulation (EU) amending Regulation (EC) 
No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of cadmium in certain foods (Text with EEA 
Relevance) . Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  4+5 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2021/SPS/EEC/21_1897_00_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2021/SPS/EEC/21_1897_01_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The draft Regulation lowers existing maximum levels for 
cadmium or establishes new maximum levels for cadmium in citrus fruits, pome fruits, 
stone fruits, table olives, kiwi fruits, bananas, mangoes papayas and pineapples, berries 
and small fruits, tree nuts, radishes, tropical roots and tubers, parsley roots, turnips,  
beetroots, celeriac, bulb vegetables (except garlic), fruiting vegetables, brassica 
vegetables, leafy vegetables (except spinaches and similar leaves, mustard seedlings and 
fresh herbs), legume vegetables, stem vegetables, fungi, pulses, oilseeds (except soy 
beans), rye, barley, rice, quinoa, wheat bran, wheat gluten, durum wheat, young child 
formula, drinks for infants and young children labelled and sold as such and salt.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protecti on, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of C odex 
standard or related text) : Codex General Standard for Contaminants and 
Toxins in Food and Feed (CXC 1995)  G/SPS/N/EU/466  
 
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  [ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [X] No  
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international stand ard: On the basis of a risk assessment of the European Food Safety 
Authority the exposure of EU consumers to cadmium should be lowered. On the basis of 
the available occurrence data in the European Union, there is margin to lower the 
Maximum Levels for cad mium in certain commodities. This measure is considered 
necessary to ensure a high level of human health protection.  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : Estimated June 2021.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : Estimated June 2021.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the European 
Union.  Foodstuffs listed in the Annex to this Regulation that were lawfully placed on the 
market before the date of entry into force may continue to be marketed until 6 months 
after the date of entry into force.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 14 May 2021  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
European Commission  
DG Health and Food Safety, Unit D2 -Multilateral International Relations  
Rue Froissart 101  
B-1049 Brussels  
Tel: +(32 2) 29 54263  
Fax: +(32 2) 29 98090  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu  
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
European Commission  
DG Health and Food Safety, Unit D2 -Multilateral International Relations  
Rue Froissart 101  
B-1049 Brussels  
Tel: +(32 2) 29 54263  
Fax: +(32 2) 29 98090  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu