WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/EEC/352 
4 August 2009  
 (09-3775) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Commission of the European Communities.  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):  Foodstuffs  with the following CN codes: 
− Almonds:  CN Codes 080211, 080212 and 200819; 
− Pistachios:  CN Codes 080250 and 200819; 
− Hazelnuts:  CN Codes 080221, 080222 and 200819; 
− Oilseeds other than groundnuts:  CN Cod es 1201, 1203, 1204, 1 205, 1206, 1207 and 
derived products CN Code 1208;  and 
− Rice:  CN Codes 100610 and 100620. 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners [ ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  "Draft Commission Regulation of *** amending 
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 setting maximum levels 
for certain contaminants in f oodstuffs as regards aflatoxins"  Language:  English  Number 
of pages:  8 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2009/sps/EEC/09_2728_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  This draft Commission Regulation, amending Commission 
Regulation (EC) N0 1881/2006 of 19 December  2006 setting maximum levels for certain 
contaminants in foodstuffs as regards aflat oxins, aims at amending maximum levels as 
regards aflatoxins in certain foodstuffs. 
Following the availability of the EFSA scien tific opinion on the potential increase of 
consumer health risk by a possible increase of the existing maximum levels for aflatoxins in 
almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios and derived products and recent decisions in the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission, the following cha nges are proposed as regards maximum levels 
for aflatoxins: 
− Alignment of the maximum level of aflatoxin total in almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios 
with the decisions in Codex Alimentarius  and the establishment of a corresponding 
aflatoxins B1 level; G/SPS/N/EEC/352 
Page 2  
 
   − The establishment of a maximum level for af latoxins in oilseeds other than groundnuts 
with the exception of oilseeds for crushing for refined vegetable oil production;  and 
− Establishment of a higher level for aflatoxins  in rice to subjected to sorting or other 
physical treatment before human consumpti on or use as an ingredient in foodstuffs. 
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) Codex General Standard for Contam inants and Toxins in Foods  
(CODEX STAN 193-1995) 
 http://www.codexalimentarius.net/dow nload/standards/17/CXS_193e.pdf  
[ ] 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 
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:    
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Opinion of 
the Scientific Panel on Contaminants in the food chain on a request from the Commission related to the potential increase of consumer  health risk by a possible increase of the 
existing maximum levels for aflatoxins in almonds hazelnuts and pistachios and derived 
products.  The EFSA Journal  (2007) 446, 1-127. 
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/cs/BlobServer/Sc ientific_Opinion/C ONTAM%20_op_ej446_afl
atoxins_en,3.pdf?ssbinary=true  (available in English) 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  End of December 2009 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  End of December 2009 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  1 February 2010 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure 
12. Final date for comments:  [X] Sixty days  from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  3 October 2009  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
sps@ec.europa.eu  G/SPS/N/EEC/352 
 Page 3 
 
 
  13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:    
sps@ec.europa.eu