G/SPS/N/EU/391  
 
8 July 2020  
(20-4674) Page: 1/3 
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):  All food  
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:  Draft Commission Regulation amending the Annexes 
to Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the 
hygiene of foodstuffs as regards food allergen management, redistribution of food and 
food safety culture . Language(s):  English. Number of pages:  7 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/EEC/20_3999_00_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/EEC/20_3999_01_e.pdf  
6. Description of co ntent:  The revision aims at adapting the Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 
on the hygiene of foodstuffs to new trends and priorities related to food safety that 
emerged at EU and global level. In particular:  
1. There is a need to introduce preventive measures to  avoid cross -contamination by 
allergens in food. Food allergies are an increasing food safety issue in the EU and globally 
and have emerged as a major public and personal health burden.  
2. Facilitating food donation is a mean of preventing food waste and promoting food 
security, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Food donations. 
Since redistributing of food for donations might be accompanied by certain hazards, it 
requires additional general food safety measures as identified in  the 2018 EFSA "Second 
scientific opinion on hazard analysis approaches for certain small retail establishments 
and food donations".  
3. There is increasing evidence of enhanced food safety by introducing a food safety 
culture in food businesses, making st aff aware of the importance of being engaged in the 
safe production of food.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damag e from pests.   G/SPS/N/EU/391  
 
- 2 - 
 
  8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) : 
− General Principles of Food Hygiene and its HACCP Annex (CXC 1-1969) as 
revised in 2020  
− Draft Code of Practice on Food Allergen Management. For Food Business 
Operators  
[ ] 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?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
Regulation (EC) No 852/2004. Latest consolidated version, available in all languages of 
the European Union at : 
https://eur -lex.europa.eu/legal -
content/EN/TXT/?qid=1592561346563&uri=CELEX%3A02004R0852 -20090420   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 4th quarter 2020 (provisional, pending on 
the adoption of the mentioned Codex cods of practice)  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 4th quarter 2020 (provisional, pending 
on the adoption of the mentioned Codex cods of practice)  
11. Proposed date of ent ry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : Twenty days after publication in the Official Journal of the 
European Union.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 6 September 2020  
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: +(322) 295 4263  
Fax: +(322) 299 8090  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu   G/SPS/N/EU/391  
 
- 3 - 
 
  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: +(322) 295 4263  
Fax: +(322) 299 8090  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu