G/TBT/W/585  
 
10 December 2018  
(18-7784) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
INDIA — DRAFT FOOD S AFETY AND STANDARDS (ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES   
STANDARDS) REGULATIO NS, 2015  
STATEMENT BY INDIA TO THE COMMITTEE ON TECHNICAL BARRIERS T O TRADE  
14 AND 15  NOVEMBER  2018 
The following communication, dated 7 December 2018 , is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of India. 
_______________  
1.  I thank the delegations of the European Union and Japan  for their interest in the matter.  
2.  I would like to recall the detailed statement made by India in the previous meetings of CTG held 
in 2017 and 2018. After conclusion of the previous meetings, my delegation had passed on written 
responses to the delegation of EU. On some of the additional queries raised by EU prior to the last 
meeting of TBT Committee, my delegation has provided the relevant inf ormation to the concerned 
delegation of EU on 22 March 2018. Accordingly, my delegation believes that India has already 
responded to most of the questions raised, either through written responses or orally during the 
committee meetings.  
3.  My delegation will be holding bilateral meetings with the delegations raising any further issue 
during these two days and try to understand the additional concerns, if any.  
4.  In brief, my delegation would like to state that:  
• A comprehensive set of standards on Alcoholic Bever ages namely "Food Safety and 
Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018 has been gazette notified on 
28 March  2018. These regulations have been formulated based on existing national 
standards (BIS) and international standards like OIV keeping in vie w the prevailing Indian 
conditions and practices.  
• The draft regulat ions were notified in WTO -TBT/SPS Committees way back in 2015.   
• Comments submitted by EU were duly considered and wherever appropriate, suitable 
amendments were made to the Regulation. In p articular, the provisions of Additives are 
now largely harmonized with OIV standards as requested by EU delegation. Accordingly, 
standards for additives  / enzymes  / processing aids for use in category 14.2 (Alcoholic 
Beverages including alcohol free and low alcoholic counterparts) are prescribed in table 14 
of FSS (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2016 (notified on 
5 September 2016). Further pro visions of additional additives  / processing aids and 
enzymes for grapes wine, distilled spirituous beverages and aromatized alcoholic 
beverages have been notified on 31 July 2017 in FSS (Food Product Standards and Food 
Additives) Regulations, 2017.  
• With r egard to GI products, it is informed that all GI products have been omitted from the 
Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018 as the GI products in 
general are regulated through "Intellectual Property Act " (IPR act) of India.  G/TBT/W/585  
 
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  • So far as recent receipt of comments from the US on India 's Draft Food Safety Standard 
(Labelling & Display) Regulation is concerned, the same has been forwarded to the 
concerned authority in the Capital for the necessary inputs.  
5.  Having said so, my delegation would look forward to clarify bilaterally on any remaining or 
additional issues.  
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