CELEX: 51988PC0221
Language: en
Date: 1988-04-13
Title: Re-examined proposal for a COUNCIL DIRECTIVE on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to flavourings for use in foodstuffs and to source materials for their production (presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 149.2(d) of the EEC Treaty)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (88) 221
Vol. 1988/0070
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                              COM(88 ) 221 final - SYN 16
                                              Brussels , 13 April 1988
                      Re-examined proposai for a
                           COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to
   flavourings for use in foodstuffs and to source materials for
                           their production
      (presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 149.2(d )
                          of the EEC Treaty )
                                   . \
                  &                    ' '
 ---pagebreak---                                  EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Commission transmitted its proposal to the Council on the question on 28
May 1980 ( C0M(80)286 final of 22 May 1980 ).
Following the opinion given by the Parliament on the proposal
( 19 February 1982 ), the proposal was amended by the Commission . The
amendments were submitted to the Council on 6 April 1982 ( C0M(82)166 final ).
The Council agreed its common position on 20 October 1987 on the basis of the
2 May 1980 revised Commission proposal . This proposal was transmitted to
Parliament which , at its March session , voted in favour of a number of
amendments , most of which are acceptable to the Commission . The attached text
for a re-examined proposal incorporates the accepted amendments .
The opinion of the Commission on the non-accepted amendments , is also attached
according to Article 149.2(d ).
 ---pagebreak---         Re-examined proposal of the Commission for a Council Directive on the
       approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to flavourings
         for use in foodstuffs and to source materials for their production .
     ( Presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 149.2(d ) of the Treaty ).
The Commission accepts the common position of the Council as described in
 Council document 7259 / 87 of 22 June 1987 subject to the following amendments :
i)        Fifth recital is replaced by :
          " whereas , on the basis of the inventory of source materials and
          substances used in the preparation of flavourings established by the
          Commmission on the basis of Decision _ _ / _ / 87 , ( 3 ) the Council will
          at a later stage adopt in accordance with the procedure laid down in
          Article 1Q0A appropriate provisions concerning individual categories of
          flavourings and source materials and any necessary measures concerning
         their use and methods of production ".
ii )      Ninth recital, second " whereas " is replaced by :
          " procedure IIIA laid down in Council Decision 87 / 373 / EEC of
          13 July 1987 ( 4 ) laying down the procedures for the exercise of
          implementing powers conferred on the Commission will be used for this
          purpose ".
iii )     Tenth recital (" Whereas . – 69 / 14 / EEC ") is deleted .
iv )      Eleventh recital (" Whereas .... Annexes ") is deleted .
vO        Article 5 is amended as follows :
          "1 .  The Council , acting in accordance with the procedure provided for
                in Article 100A of the Treaty, shall adopt appropriate provisions
                concerning :
          The indents of the old paragraph ( a ) are included unchanged .
            2.  The following shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure
                provided for in Article 11 .
         Paragraph ( b ) becomes new paragraph ( a )".
         New paragraph ( b ) is added as follows ( ex Article 7) :
(1)     OJ C 144, 13.6.80, p . 9 .
( 2)    OJ C 103, 24.4.82, p . 7 .
( 3)
(4)     0J L 197, 18.7.87, p. 33 .
 ---pagebreak---         "( b ) provisions on :
        - the technical amendments to the Annexes having regard to progress in
             scientific and technical knowledge ;
        - the microbiological criteria applicable to flavourings ;
        - the designation criteria given to the more specific names referred in
            Article 9(1)(b ).
        Paragraph ( c ) is completed as follows :
        Second indent reads : " The conditions .... paragraph ( a ) ".
        Three indents are added as follows ( ex Article 6 ) :
      " - the methods of analysis needed to verify the levels referred to in
            Article 4 ;
        - the procedure for taking samples and the methods for qualitative and,
            where appropriate, quantitative analysis of flavourings in or on
            foodstuffs ;
        - the specific criteria of purity for given flavourings ."
        A new paragraph 3 is added , as follows :
        "3.     Provisions that may have effects on public health shall be adopted
                only after consulting the Scientific Committee for Food ."
vi )    Articles 6 and 7 are deleted .
vii )   Article 9(2 ) is modified as following :
        First paragraph becomes :
        " Without . exclusively :
        - flavouring substances as defined in Article 1(2)(b)(i );
        - and /or flavouring preparations as defind in Article 1(2)(c )."
        Second paragraph becomes :
        " If the sales description .... unless ail flavouring components hâve
        been .... solely or mainly .... concerned ".
        Article 11 , paragraph 2 is modified as follows :
        ( these provisions also replace paragraphs 3(a ) and 3(b ) :
        " 2 . The Commission representative . matter .
                The opinion shall be delivered with the majority provided for in
                Article 148(2) of the Treaty for the adoption of the decisions to
                be taken by the Council on a proposal from the Commission . When
                the vote is taken in the Committee, the votes of the
                representatives of the Member States shall be weighted in
                accordance with the above article . The Chairman shall not vote .
                The Commission shall adopt the intended measures when they are in
                accordance with the opinion of the Committee or in the absence of
                any opinion , the Commission shall forthwith submit to the Council a
                proposal relating to the measures to be taken . The Council shall
                act by qualified majority ."
        Paragraphs 3(a ) and 3(b ) are deleted .
        Paragraph 3(c ) becomes new paragraph 3 and is modified as follows :
        "3 .    If the Council has not taken a decision within three months from
                the date on which the matter was referred to the Council, the
                proposed measures shall be adopted by the Commission ."
 ---pagebreak---                                                                    АЖЕХ
                          OPINION OF THE COMMISSION
                               ON THE AMENDMENTS
                     PUT FORWARD BY EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
                          WHICH IT HAS NOT ACCEPTED
 Amendment 1 , Second Part ( referring to the end of the fifth recital )
 This amendment is consequential on Amendment 12 , which the Commission
 has not been able to accept ( see below ).
Amendaent 5, referring to Article 1(2)(b).
The amendment seeks to re-introduce certain terms i.e. " natural ",
" nature-identical " and " artificial ".
The necessity for the re-introduction of these terms in Article 1 will be
re-examined during the discussion of a Directive on the labelling of
flavourings for consumers which will be proposed in the near future .
Amendaent 6 ( Article 4(a ) second indent ).
The amendment would re-introduce lower levels of contaminants ( arsenic , lead ,
cadmium , mercury ) occurring in flavourings , than those included in the common
position of the Council .
The limits of contaminants proposed by the Council are still extremely low and
do not imply any health risks . These limits would allow the Community rules
on contaminants in flavourings to come into effect more rapidly .
Amendaent 7 ( Article 5 , referring to time period ).
The amendment would fix a period of two years ( till July 1990 ) for the
Commission to propose and the Council to adopt further Directives regulating
political aspects of flavourings .
These decisions can only be taken on the basis of an inventory which will only
be completed in 1990 . Therefore the requested deadline is unrealistic .
Amendments 10 ( Article 9(1 ) ( b )) and 12 ( Article 10).
These amendments would establish a 100A procedure for technical matters .    This
should be entrusted to the Commission .
Amendaent 13 ( Article 11(4 )).
The amendment seeks to define limits , beyond which technical changes of
residue, levels become a political matter , requiring Article 100A procedure .
All the changes are of a technical nature and the regulatory provision should
be enacted by the Commission .