COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
C0M(91) 297 final - SYN 357 
Brussels, 25 July 1991 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 
amending Directive 89/396/EEC on indications or 
marks identifying the lot to which a foodstuff belongs - SYN 357 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
Implementation of Directive 89/396/EEC on indications or marks 
identifying the lot to which a foodstuff belongs 
- 2 -
Explanatory memorandum 
Council Directive 89/396/EEC of 14 June 1989 on indications or marks 
identifying the lot to which a foodstuff belongs provides that a foodstuff 
may not be marketed unless it Is accompanied by an indication which allows 
identification of the lot to which it belongs. 
Article 7 of the Directive provides that the latter should be implemented 
no later than 20 June 1991. Some weeks before that date, the Commission was 
informed that many economic operators are encountering insurmountable 
technical problems in their endeavours to apply the Directive, due to the 
fact that special new equipment Is necessary in order to comply with the 
obligation to indicate on the label the lot to which a product belongs. 
According to the Information available to the Commission, manufacturers of 
this type of equipment are not at present able to meet the demand from the 
agri-food industries, resulting in very long delivery periods. 
It is therefore necessary to postpone by one year the application date 
originally specified in the Directive, in order to avoid creating new 
barriers to intra-Communlty trade resulting from the technical 
Impossibility of complying with Community legislation. 
-1-
proposa I 
for a Council Directive 
amending Directive 89/396/EEC on indications or marks Identifying the lot SYN 357 
to which a foodstuff belongs. 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, 
and in particular Article 100a thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,1 
In cooperation with the European Parliament,2 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee,3 
Whereas It Is necessary to take account of the insurmountable technical 
problems which have rendered Impossible the implementation by 20 June 1991 
of Directive 89/396/EEC; whereas it Is therefore necessary to postpone the 
Implementation date, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 
Article 1 
The second indent of the first paragraph of Article 7 Is replaced by the 
fol lowing text: 
prohibit trade in products not complying with this Directive with 
effect from 1 July 1992. However, trade in products placed on the 
market or labelled before that date and not conforming with this 
Directive may continue until stocks run out. 
Article 2 
This Directive is addressed to the Member States. 
Done at 
For the Counci i 
1 OJ No C 
2 OJ C No 
3 OJ No C 
Communication from the Commission 
Subject: implementation of Directive 89/396/EEC on indications or marks 
identifying the lot to which a foodstuff belongs 
Article 7 of Directive 89/396/EEC on the identification of the lot to which 
a foodstuff belongs requires the Member States to amend their laws, 
regulations and administrative provisions to prohibit trade in products not 
complying with the Directive with effect from 20 June 1991. 
The Commission has been informed that insurmountable technical difficulties 
have arisen with regard to the implementation of this Directive. 
In order to avoid the creation of further barriers to Intra-Communlty trade 
as a result of it being technically impossible to conform to the Community 
legislation, the Commission has decided to propose very shortly the 
postponement of implementation until 1 July 1992. 
H ÎSSN 0254-1475 
COM(91) 297 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN to 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-91-331-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-74712-9 
Office for Officiai Publications of Ihe European Communities 
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