CELEX: 51990PC0458
Language: en
Date: 1990-10-02
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DIRECTIVE AMENDING DIRECTIVE 79/112/EEC IN RESPECT OF THE DESIGNATION OF FLAVOURINGS IN THE LIST OF INGREDIENTS ON THE LABELS OF FOODSTUFFS

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)
 ---pagebreak---                                     - 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.
 ---pagebreak---                                     - 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
 ---pagebreak---                                      - 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 ...
 ---pagebreak---                                                                    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 D E L'APPLICATION D E L A
    . " LEGISLATION POUR L E S 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 a u mode de: .
                                              désfgnat Ion des arômes dans la IIste des-V
                                              Ingrédients figurant sur l'étiquetage d e s .
                                              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 S U R 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.
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                                                                                 ISSN 0254-1475
                                                                 COM(90) 458 final
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                                                               ISBN 92-77-64338-2
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