. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/EEC/212 
18 September 2008 
 (08-4355) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   European Commission 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:    
European Commission 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point Fax:  +(32) 2 299 8043 E-mail:  ec-tbt@ec.europa.eu 
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/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):   Dangerous (chemical) 
substances. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Commission 
Directive  amending, for the purpose of its adaptation to technical progress, for the 31st time, 
Council Directive 67/548/EEC on the appr oximation of the laws, regulations and 
administrative provisions relating to the classifi cation, packaging and labelling of dangerous 
substances. (Directive: 2 pages; Annexes: 30 pa ges; Explanatory note: 7 pages, in English). 
6. Description of content:   This draft Commission Directive, amending Directive 
67/548/EEC, introduces and modifies the EU  harmonised classification and labelling 
requirements for about 600 substances, re moves the requirements for 4 substances. 
The inclusion of the entries for Nickel com pounds is still under internal review. If the draft 
Directive is modified in this respect, the European Communities will submit a revised draft 
Directive and a revised explanatory note, if possible within the 60 days commenting period. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Protection of human health and the environment, ensuring the proper functioning of the EU 
internal market. G/TBT/N/EEC/212 
Page 2  
 
  8. Relevant documents:   Directive 67/548/EEC on the approximation of the laws, regulations 
and administrative provisions relating to th e classification, packaging and labelling of 
dangerous substances (OJ L 196, 16.08.1967, p. 1)   
(http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/Lex UriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31967L0548:EN:HTML) 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    End of 2008 
20 days from publication in the Official 
Journal of the EU (about a month after 
adoption approx.). 
10. Final date for comments:   60 days from date of notification. 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [    ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
European Commission 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point Fax:  + (32) 2 299 8043 E-mail:  ec-tbt@ec.europa.eu 
The text is available on the EC-TBT Website  :  http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/   
And at: 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2008/tbt/eec/08_2943_00_e.pdf
 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2008/tbt/eec/08_2943_01_e.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2008/tbt/eec/08_2943_02_e.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2008/tbt/eec/08_2943_03_e.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2008/tbt/eec/08_2943_04_e.pdf