. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/EEC/319 
23 November 2007  
 (07-5181) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
  
If applicable, name of local government involved:     
2. Agency responsible:  Commission of the European Communities. Health & Consumer 
Protection Directorate-Gene ral  Directorate E – Safety of the Food Chain 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numb er(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable):  Materials and Articl es in contact with food including catering containers and 
materials and articles in contact with dr inking water (HS: 3919, 3920, 3923 and 3924; ICS 
number: 67.250) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable :  
Member States of the European Communities  and third countries exporting the products 
concerned to the European Communities. 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Document 
SANCO/2007/03175 Draft Commission Directive amen ding Directive 2002/72/EC relating 
to plastic materials and articles intended  to come into contact with foodstuffs  (available in 
English, 13 pages) 
6. Description of content:  This draft Directive establishes the date when the list of additives 
becomes a positive list; clarifies the role of the provisional list and updates the list of monomers and additives used for the manufacture of plastic materials and articles intended to 
come into contact with foodstuffs, in accord ance with the opinion from the European Food 
Safety Authority.  
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  To facilitate trade by setting the date when the list of additives becomes 
a positive list and by authorizing a number of ne w substances to be used in the manufacture of 
plastics, whilst ensuring consumer safety.  
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [ X ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:    G/SPS/N/EEC/319 
Page 2  
 
  9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:   Further to document 
SANCO/2007/03175, information relevant to this proposal can be found: 
(a) in the opinions of the European Food Safe ty Agency (EFSA) available on EFSA's site: 
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/s cience/afc/afc _opinions.html
 
(b) on the website of General Directorate for Health and Consumer Protection (SANCO) at 
http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/chemic alsafety/foodcontact/index_en.htm  
When adopted, this proposal will be publishe d at the Official Journal available at: 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu    
10. Proposed date of adoption:  March 2008 (at this time it is not possible to estimate a more 
specific date). 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  April 2008   
12. Final date for comments:  60 days after notification date 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] EC notification authority, 
[   ] National enquiry point, or address, f ax number and E-mail address (if available) of 
other body: 
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notifi cation authority, [ X ] EC enquiry point, or 
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: