. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/EEC/132
3 August 2001
(01-3862)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission, Directorate-General for Health and
Consumer protection
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable).  Chemically defined flavouring substances for use in foodstuffs   Regions or
countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  EC Member States
and third countries trading with the European Communities
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Draft Commission Decision
amending Commission Direct ive 1999/217/EC of 27 March 1999 adopting a register of
flavouring substances used in or on foodstuffs (94 pages including annexes)
5. Description of content:  Introduction of a unique numbering system for classification (FL
numbers, chemical group), inclusion of new s ubstances, withdrawal of the confidential
character of certain substances, additional information on a  number of inconsistencies that
could not be solved at short term.
6. 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   Amendment of the register of flavouring substances, in order to
achieve mutual recognition within the European Communities and establish a basis for
future evaluation of the conformity of products with the EC procedure for flavouring
substances intended for use in foodstuffs.
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  For a number of substances  technical
background was available or under discussion by the Council of Europe and JECFA (Joint
FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives). In order to prepare the dossiers to be
submitted to the Scientific Committee on Food for appropriate safety evaluation, all relevant
information on the substances under evaluation is currently collected in a database (Flavis).
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  European
Commission Document SANCO/ 0847/2001 rev.1-2, and Annex 1 (Available in English,
translations to French and Spanish will be available soon )
9. Proposed date of adoption:  December 2001G/SPS/N/EEC/132
Page 2
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  December 2001
11. Final date for comments:  20 September 2001
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification
authority, [  X ] EC enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:           
12. Texts available from: [     ] National notification authority, [  X ] EC enquiry point or
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  A summary of the
food additive legislation including access to relevant legislation mentioned in this
notification  is available at http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sfp/flav_index_en.html .