COMVIISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
COM(90) 458 final 
Brussels, 2 October 1990 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 
amending Directive 79/112/EEC 
in respect of the designation of fiavourings in the List of ingredients 
on the Labels of foodstuffs 
(presented by the Commission) 
- 2 -
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
Directive 79/112/EEC of 18 December 1978 on the approximation of the laws 
of the Member States relating to the labelling and presentation of 
foodstuffs, as last amended by Directive 89/395/EEC, stipulates the 
following In the third indent of Article 6(5)(b) : 
"-flavouring matter shall be described in accordance with the national 
provisions applicable thereto, until the entry into force of the Community 
provisions; these provisions shall be adopted In accordance with the 
procedure laid down in Article 17". 
In accordance with the above procedure, this text was submitted to the 
Standing Committee for Foodstuffs on 19 July 1990 which was unable to give 
an opinion. 
It is necessary to adopt the measures referred to In the above provisions 
in order to avoid trade barriers resulting from differences in national 
laws on the manner of designating flavourings among the Ingredients listed 
on the labels of foodstuffs and to ensure that consumers are properly 
informed. 
- 3 
CouncII Dlrect ive 
of 
amending Directive 79/112/EEC 
in respect of the designation of flavourings in the list of ingredients 
on the labels of foodstuffs 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, 
Having regard to Council Directive 79/112/EEC of 18 December 1978 on the 
approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to.the labelling, 
presentation and advertising of foodstuffs for sale to the ultimate 
consumer (1), as last amended by Directive 89/395/EEC (2), and in 
particular the third indent of Article 6(5)(b) thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Whereas differences in national laws on the manner of designating 
flavourings among the ingredients listed on the labels of foodstuffs may 
impede free trade in these products and create unequal conditions of 
compet i t ion; 
Whereas any provisions oh the labelling of foodstuffs must be geared to the 
requirements of consumer information and protection; 
Whereas the term "natural" or any other word having substantially the same 
meaning should therefore be protected; 
Whereas these terms have been defined in Article 9(2) of Council Directive 
88/388/EEC of 22 June 1988 on the approximation of the laws of the Member 
States relating to flavourings for use in foodstuffs and to source 
materials for their production (3); 
Whereas it has become necessary to extend this defelnltion to the labelling 
of foodstuffs; 
Whereas in accordance with the procedure of article 10 of Council Directive 
88/388/EEC, this text was submitted to the Standing Committee for 
Foodstuffs which was unable to express an opinion and, whereas under the 
same procedure, the Commission shall submit to the Council a proposal 
relating to the measures to be taken. 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE : 
Article 1 
Directive 79/112/EEC shall be amended as follows 
(1) 0J No L 33, 8.2.1979, p. 1. 
(2) 0J No L 186, 30.6.1989, p. 17 
(3) 0J No L 184, 15.7.1988, p. 61 
- 4 -
The third indent of Article 6(5)(b) shall be replaced by the 
fol lowing : 
-"flavourings shall be designated In accordance with Annex I I I to the 
Direct ive." 
The following Annex III shall be added : 
"Annex I I I 
Designation of flavourings in the list of ingredients 
1. Flavourings shall be designated either by the word "flavourlng(s)" 
or by a more specific name or description of the flavouring. 
2. The word "natural" or any other word having substantially the same 
meaning may be used for flavourings in which the flavouring 
component contains exclusively flavouring substances as defined in 
Article 1(2)(b)(i) and/or flavouring preparations as defined In 
Article 1(2)(c) of Directive 88/388/EEC on flavourings. 
3. If the name of the flavouring contains a reference to the vegetable 
or animal nature or origin of the Incorporated substances, the word 
"natural" or any other word having substantially the same meaning 
may not be used unless the flavouring component has been isolated 
by appropriate physical processes, enzymatic or microbiological 
processes or traditional food-preparation processes solely or 
almost solely from the foodstuff or the flavouring source 
concerned. 
Article 2 
Member States shall, where necessary, amend their laws, regulations and 
administrative provisions in such a way as to : 
- permit trade in products complying with this Directive at the latest 
by 30 June 1992. 
- prohibit "trade in products not complying with this Directive with effect 
from 1 January 1994. 
They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof. 
Article 3 
This Directive is addressed to the Member States. 
Done at 1990 ... 
5. 
Fiche d'Impact de certains actes législatifs 
sur les PME et l'emploi 
Proposition de Directive du Conseil portant modification de la 01 rective 
79/112/CEE en ce qui concerne la mention des. arômes dans la liste des 
Ingrédients figurant dans l'étiquetage des denrées alimentaires. 
1. OBLIGATIONS ADMINISTRATIVES DECOULANT DE L'APPLICATION DE LA 
. " LEGISLATION POUR LES ENTREPRISÉS 
•;• . Néant. •'*'.'."•.'-7 
••....•:-' '.'•• • .•.•.••* .,., r. 
iJ AVANTAGES POUR L'ENTREPRISE . ''"^':•."/.v-
. - oui • ! '•'•• .*•"•'.v 
r LESQUELLES : Cette directive a pour object if de mettre * 
fin à aux divergences existantes dans 1er * 
législations nationales quant au mode de: . 
désfgnat Ion des arômes dans la IIste des-V 
Ingrédients figurant sur l'étiquetage des. 
denrées alimentaires ce qui devrait permettre 
d'affirmer toute jentrave à la libre >.', ; 
circulation des produits ainsi due des '''i 
• c«nHî.tfrtn«- rie concurrence déloyale, •' 
3. INCONVÉNIENTS POUR L'ENTREPRISE ! 
• * • • • . 
Ccoûts supplémentaires) I 
'- - NON-
- CONSEQUENCES 
4. EFFETS SUR L'EMPLOI j 
Néant. 
5. Ys A-T-IL EU CONCERTATION PREALABLE AVEC LES PARTENAIRES 
SOCIAUX ?.. ! 
i • • i 
J NON | • 
e, y A-T-IL UNE APPROCHE ALTERNATIVE MOINS CONTRAIGNANTE ? 
Non. 

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COM(90) 458 final 
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