G/TBT/N/ESP/35  
4 January 2017  
(17-0001) 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 government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  
Ministerio de Agricultura y Pesca, Al imentación y Medio Ambiente - Dirección General de la 
Industria Alimentaria  (Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment - 
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 telephone 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 appl icable) : Flour, meal 
and other milled cereal products . Includes : 11.01.00 . Wheat or meslin flour ; 11.02. Cereal 
flours other than of wheat or meslin ; 11.03.11 . Groats and meal of wheat ; 11.03.13 . 
Groats and meal of maize (corn) ; 11.03.19 . Groats and meal o f other cereals ; 11.04.30 . 
Germ of cereals, whole, rolled, flaked or ground.  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document : Proyecto de Real 
Decreto por el que se aprueba la norma de calidad para las harinas, las sémolas y otros 
produ ctos de la molienda de los cereales (Draft Royal Decree approving the quality 
standard for flour, meal and other milled cereal products) (9 pages, in Spanish)  
6. Description of content : The draft text updates the technical and sanitary regulation for 
the production, distribution and trading of wheat flour, wheat meal and other milled wheat 
products for human consumption, contained in Royal Decree 1286/1984 of 2 3 May 1 984. It 
establishes the quality standard for flour, meal and other milled cereal products produced 
and marketed in Spain, without prejudice to the mutual recognition clause . One of the 
main changes occasioned by the draft Decree is the extension of the scope of the previous 
technical and sanitary regulation, which covered only wheat flour and m illed wheat 
products . The new quality standard covers flour, meal and milled products made from all 
types of cereals , and includes new names and definitions that take into acco unt new 
industrial treatments and  new intended uses for such products . Under flo ur, definitions are 
provided for extra -fine low -extraction wheat flour and brown wheat flour, flour with bran, 
mixed flours and multi -grain flours, treated flour (including malted cereal flour, dextrinized 
flour, micronized flour, and heat -treated flour) a nd prepared flour . Fine meal, wholemeal 
and meal with bran are covered under meal . The text also includes new milled cereal 
products, such as groats . Furthermore, it amends various requirements for finished G/TBT/N/ESP/35  
- 2 - 
  products, on the one hand because they are no lon ger considered to be quality 
parameters, and on the other hand to simplify and adapt them to the requirements in force 
in other European Union countries, so as to enable such products to be marketed 
competitively on the European Single Market.  
7. Objectiv e 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 consumers and to ensure that they have the 
informatio n 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 sector and to ensure fair competition between the 
industries involved.  
- To promote innovation and the technological development of the sector, through aspects 
such as new products and new prod uction methods.  
8. Relevant documents : Text of the draft Decree.  
9. Proposed date of adoption : December 2 016 
Proposed date of entry into force : January 2 017 
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 addresses, if available, of other body:  
Ministerio de Agricultura y Pesca, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente                                 
Dirección General de la Industria Alimentaria  
Pº Infanta Isabel, 1  
28071 Madrid  
Tel.: 91 347 53 61/8477/5559  
Fax: 91 347 57 70  
Email: dgia@magrama.es  
https://members.wto .org/crnattachments/2016/TBT/ESP/16_5232_00_s.pdf