. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/EEC/370 
12 February 2010 
 (10-0777) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  EUROPEAN UNION
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Commission of the European Un ion.  Health & Consumers 
Directorate-General Directorate E – Safety of the food chain 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Food additives other than colours a nd sweeteners (ICS Code 67.220.20) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  EU Member States and third countries exporting 
these products to the European Union.  
5. Title of the notified document:  Draft Commission Directive of *** amending Directive 
2008/84/EC laying down specific purity criteria on food additives other than colours and sweeteners  Language:  English  Number of pages:  16 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2010/sps/EEC/10_0618_00_e.pdf
 
6. Description of content:  The draft amendment to Direc tive 2008/84/EC provides an update 
of the existing list of currently authorized  purity criteria assigned to food additives.  
In particular, the present draft takes into c onsideration the provisions that are currently 
discussed at EU level aiming to authorize new food additives, under the 7th amendment to 
Directive 95/2/EC. 
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 stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text) The General Standard on Food Additives (GSFA) 
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[ ] None G/SPS/N/EEC/370 
Page 2  
 
  Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [ X] Yes   [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  The draft amendment of Directive 2008/84/EC carefully takes 
into account the existing Codex specifications  on food additives already permitted in the 
GSFA and prepared by the Joint Expert Co mmittee on Food Additives (JECFA).  However, 
although the present document generally conforms with the content of these specifications, 
some few modifications have been brought to it for sake of clarity, especially regarding the specifications assigned to the various groups of  polymers covered by the E 1521, following 
an in depth consultation with the industry sectors concerned. 
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:  When adopted 
it will be published at the Official Journal availa ble in English at:  http://eur-lex.europa.eu.  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  February 2010 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  July/August 2010 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  20 days after publication 
[X] Trade facilitating measure To facilitate trade whilst ensuring consumer safety.  
12. Final date for comments:  [ X] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  13 April 2010 
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 Consumers, Unit D3 - In ternational questions (multilateral)  
Rue Froissart 101 B 1049 Brussels Tel:  +32 (0) 2 29 68185/59922 Fax:  +32 (0) 2 2998090 
Email:  sps@ec.europa.eu 
13. Texts 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 Consumers, Unit D3 - In ternational questions (multilateral)  
Rue Froissart 101 B 1049 Brussels 
Tel:  +32 (0) 2 29 68185/59922, Fax:  +32 (0)2 2998090 
Email:  sps@ec.europa.eu 
Information relevant to this proposal can be found on the website of DG Health and 
Consumers at: http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/chemicalsafety/additives/index_en.htm