G/TBT/N/EU/432  
 
16 December 2016  
(16-6882) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member : EUROPEAN UNION   
If applicable, name of local government involved  (Article 3.2 and 7.2) :   
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission  
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 :  
European Commission  
EU-TBT Enquiry Point  
Fax: +(32) 2 299 80 43  
E-mail: grow-eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools -databases/tbt/  
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):  Spirit drinks  
5. Title, number of pages  and language(s)  of the notified document:  Proposal for a 
Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the definition, presentation, 
labelling of spirit drinks, the use of the names of spirit drinks in the presentation and 
labelling of other foodstuffs and the p rotection of geographical indications of spirit drinks 
(COM(2016) 750) (32 pages + Annex 23 pages, in English).  
6. Description of content:  This proposal for a Regulation lays down detailed rules as 
regards the definition, presentation, labelling of spiri t drinks and the registration of 
geographical indications. It repeals Regulation (EC) No 110/2008. Please note that even if 
intellectual property right issues, in particular related to geographical indications, are part 
of the notified measure, only the pr ovisions related to technical standards, definitions and 
labelling would be relevant for the purpose of the TBT Agreement.  
7. Objective and rationale , including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
The objectives of the draft Regulation are: a)  to update the rules applicable to the 
definition, presentation and labelling of spirit drinks and to the use of the names of spirit 
drinks in the presentation and labelling of other foodstuffs b) to review the modalities for 
the registration of geographic al indications of spirit drinks, c) to align the powers conferred 
upon the Commission to the Treaty on the Fun ctioning of the European Union.  
8. Relevant documents:  Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 of the European Parliament and of 
the Council of 15  January 20 08 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and 
the protection of geographical indications of spirit drinks ( OJ L 39, 13.2.2008, p. 1654 )  
http://eur -
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:039:0016:0054:EN:PDF  G/TBT/N/EU/432  
 
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  9. Proposed date of adoption: December 2017  
Proposed date of entry into force: Second half of 2018 (7 days from publication in the 
Official Journal of the EU). Application : 2 years after entry into force (approximately 2020).   
10. Final date for comments:  90 days from notification  
11. Texts available from : National enquiry point  [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
number s and e mail and website address es, if available , of other body:   
European Commission  
EU-TBT Enquiry Po int 
Fax: + (32) 2 299 80 43  
E-mail: grow-eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
The text is available on the Website: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools -databases/tbt/  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/TBT/EEC/16_5171_00_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/TBT/EEC/16_5171_01_e.pdf