. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/EEC/248 
14 September 2004 
 (04-3822) 
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 Co mmunities.  Health & Consumer 
Protection Director ate-General Directorate E – Food Safe ty:  Plant Health, Animal Health 
and Welfare, International questions 
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):  Fish and fishery products (CN 03) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable:  
Member States of the Europ ean Communities (EC) and third countries exporting the products 
concerned to the EC.  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   SANCO/15/2004 rev 3a 
Draft Commission Regula tion amending Commission Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 
(Official Journal L77, 16/03 /2001, pp 1-13) as regards heavy metals (6 pages) 
6. Description of content:  This proposal would introduce revised harmonized maximum 
Community levels for the heavy metals lead, ca dmium and mercury.  Th e revisions are based 
on new information in fish taxonomy and improve ments in the consistency of the format.  
Revised maximum levels are listed:  for lead in tuna and in bonito, 0.2 mg/kg would apply 
instead of 0.4 mg/kg;  for mercury in bass  and ling, 0.5 mg/kg would apply instead of 
1 mg/kg.  The proposal would introduce the leve l of 0.3 mg/kg for cadmium in swordfish and 
for mercury the level of 1 mg/kg in additional fish species. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection, 
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or  disease, [   ] protec t territory from other 
damage from pests.   To facilitate trade.  
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:  The proposed Community measures respond to 
the advice of the EU Scientific Committe e on Food (1992, 1995) and the European Food 
Safety Authority (2004) indicating respectively that exposure to lead, cadmium and methyl 
mercury should be as low as re asonably achievable/minimized. G/SPS/N/EEC/248 
Page 2  
 
 9. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available:  European 
Commission Document SANCO/15/2004 rev 3a.  When adopted it will be published in the 
Official Journal available at: http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/oj/index.html
 
10. Proposed date of adoption:   Late 2004 (at this time it is not possible to estimate a more 
specific date) 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   20 days after adoption, late 2004 
12. Final date for comments:  Forty-five (45) days afte r the date of notification 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] European Community 
notification authority, [   ] National enqui ry point, or address, fax number and E-mail 
address (if available) of other body:    
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority, [ X ] European Community 
enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if availa ble) of other body: 
Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 with background details on measures for heavy metals in food 
is available at: 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/food/chemic alsafety/contaminants/cadmium_en.htm