G/TBT/N/ESP/33  
20 May 2016  
(16-2759)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: Spanish  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Notifying Member: SPAIN 
If applicable, name of local governme nt involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible: Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente  (Ministry 
of Agriculture, Food and the Environment)                                                           
Dirección General de la Industria Alimentaria  (Directorate-General for the Food Industry)  
Pº Infanta Isabel, 1 28071 Madrid 
Tel.: 91 347 53 61/8477/5559 
Fax: 91 347 57 70 Email: dgia@magrama.es  
 
Name and address (including telephon e and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2. 10.1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ],  5.7.1 [ ], other:   
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided  in addition, where applicable): Table 
olives, including headings 20019065 (olives prepared or preserved by vinegar or acetic 
acid) and 20057000 (olives prepared or preserved otherwise than by vinegar or acetic acid, not frozen).  
5. Title, number of pages and lang uage(s) of the notified document: Proyecto de Real 
Decreto por el que se establece la Norma de Calidad de las Aceitunas de Mesa  (Draft Royal 
Decree establishing the Quality Standard for Table Olives) (12 pages, in Spanish)  
6. Description of content: The notified draft text establishes the quality standard for table 
olives produced and marketed in Spain, without prejudice to the mutual recognition clause.  
It updates the quality standard for table ol ives in light of recent amendments to 
international standards, namely the CODEX Standard for Table Olives (CODEX STAN 66-
1981), revised in 1987 and 2013, and Resolution No. RES-2/91-IV/04 of 2 December 
2004, pursuant to which the International Olive Oil Council adopted the trade standard 
applicable to table olives, COI/OT/NC No. 1 of December 2004. 
The main aspects covered are the following: product definitions and presentation; basic 
production processes; characteristics and defects of finished products; and tolerance levels 
for the various product categories. Also included is an article on the food information that is to be provided to consumers of this type of product. G/TBT/N/ESP/33 
- 2 - 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: The main objectives of this food quality-related technical standard are the 
following: 
- To prevent practices likely to mislead cons umers and to ensure that they have the 
information they need to be able to choose, freely and in an informed manner, the products they consume. In this regard, consideration has been given to the new Regulation 
(EU) No. 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, which has been 
approved in the European Union. 
- To improve the competitiveness of the table olive sector and to ensure fair competition 
between the industries involved. 
- To promote innovation and the technologica l development of the sector, through aspects 
such as mechanical harvesting, new pr oducts and new production methods. 
8. Relevant documents: Text of the draft standard. 
9. Proposed date of adoption: October 2016 
Proposed date of entry into force: October 2016  
10. Final date for comments: 60 days from the date of notification. 
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresse s, if available, of other body:  
Dirección General de la Industria Alimentaria 
Ministerio De Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente Pº Infanta Isabel, 1 
28071 Madrid 
Tel.: 91 347 53 61/8477/5559 Fax: 91 347 57 70 
dgia@magrama.es