G/SPS/N/EU/261  
 
4 July 2018  
(18-4172) 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): HS Code(s): ex 07082000, ex 07094000, 07096010, ex 07096099, 
ex 07099990, ex 07102200, 07108051, ex 07108059, ex 07108095, 08022100, 
08022200, 08025100, 08025200, 08043000, 08 055010, 080620, ex 08109020, 
ex 08109075, 08112031, ex 08112011, ex 08112019, 08131000, ex 08134095, 0902, 
09042110, 09042190, 09042200, ex 110 63090, 12024100, 12024200, 12074090, 
ex 12077000, ex 12119086, 15111090, 15119011, ex 15119019, 15119099, 
ex 20019097, 20081110, 20081191, 20081 196, 20081198, ex 20081913, ex 20081993, 
20085061, ex 20089999  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, t o the extent relevant or practicable : 
[ ] All trading partners  
[X] Specific regions or countries: Benin, Plurinational State of Bolivia, Cambodia, 
China, Dominican Republic, Egypt, the Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, India, Lebanon, 
Madagascar, Nigeria, Pakistan,  Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Sudan, 
Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, United States of America, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam  
5. Title of the notified document: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/941 of 
2 July 2018 amending Regulation (EC) No 669/2009 implementing Regulation (EC) 
No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the increased level 
of official controls on imports of certain feed and food of non -animal origin and 
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 8 85/2014 (Text with EEA relevance) . 
Language(s): English, French and Spanish .  Number of pages: 10 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/SPS/EEC/18_3445_00_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/SPS/EEC/18_3445_00_f.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/SPS/EEC/18_3445_00_s.pdf  G/SPS/N/EU/261  
 
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  6. Description of content:  
This Regulation reviews the list of imports of feed and food of non -animal origin which are 
subject to an increased level of official controls.  
The changes to Annex I of Regulation (EC) No 669/2009 concern:  
the listing of okra from India (previously listed in Regulation (EU) No 885/2014), goji 
berries from China and turnips prepared or preser ved by vinegar or acetic acid ("pickled 
turnips" ) from Lebanon and Syria; the de -listing of brassica oleracea from China, peas with 
pods from Kenya, aubergines and Ethiopian eggplant from Uganda, strawberries from 
Egypt, dried grapes from Iran and ya rdlong beans from Thailand; the decrease in the 
frequency of identity and physical controls to be performed on consignments of pineapples 
from Benin, and lemons and pomegranates from Turkey; the modification of the list of 
pesticides to be tested in case o f tea from China; the modification of the scope of the 
existing entry concerning okra from Vietnam to include frozen okra; the modification to the 
existing entries "Apricots, otherwise prepared or preserved" (apricot pulp) to provide that, 
under certain co nditions, identity and physical checks on consignments of such products 
may be carried out by the competent authorities of the place of destination as indicated in 
the common entry document (CED), if appropriate at the premises of the food business 
operato r.  
This Regulation also amends Regulation (EC) No 669/2009 to provide that:  
in case of consignments entering the Union by air transport from a third country, which are 
unloaded for the purposes of being loaded on another aircraft in the same airport for 
onward travel to another airport in the Union, the designated point of entry shall be the 
latter airport; the provisions in Article 3(b) regarding transhipped consignments shall also 
apply to consignments which will travel onward to a port or airport in the  same EU Member 
State; where the competent authority at the designated point of entry does not permit the 
introduction of a consignment of feed and food listed in Annex I due to non -compliance 
with a maximum residue level set out in Regulation (EC) No 396/ 2005, it shall immediately 
notify such border rejection in accordance with Article 19(3) of Regulation (EC) 
No 882/2004.  
This Regulation also amends Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 885/2014 by deleting the 
entry concerning okra from India.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] 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:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Conventio n (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] 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:  
Commission Regulation (EC) No 669/2009 of 24 July 2009 implementing Regulation (EC) 
No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the increased level 
of official controls on imports of certai n feed and food of non -animal origin and amending 
Decision 2006/504/EC (OJ L 194, 25.7.2009, p. 11).   G/SPS/N/EU/261  
 
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  10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 2 July 2018  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 3 July 2018  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : 6 July 2018  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable.  
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 Relation s 
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