NOTIFICATION
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Notifying Member: EUROPEAN UNION If applicable, name of local government involved: |
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Agency responsible: European Commission, Health and Food Safety Directorate-General |
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Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable): Fish, crustaceans and bivalve molluscs |
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Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: [X] All trading partners [ ] Specific regions or countries: |
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Title of the notified document: Draft Commission Regulation (EU) amending Regulation (EU) No 2023/915 as regards maximum levels of inorganic arsenic in fish and other seafood (Text with EEA relevance). Language(s): English.Number of pages: 4+4 https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2025/SPS/EEC/25_01898_00_e.pdf https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2025/SPS/EEC/25_01898_01_e.pdf |
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Description of content: The European Food Safety Authority concluded that the chronic intake of inorganic arsenic via the diet and/or drinking water is associated with an increased risk of several adverse outcomes including lung, bladder and skin cancers and that the current exposure to inorganic arsenic raises a health concerns. In order to continue lowering the exposure of the population to inorganic arsenic, it is therefore appropriate to establish maximum levels for fish and other seafood, which contribute to that exposure. Therefore, the draft Regulation establishes new maximum levels for inorganic arsenic in fish, crustacean and bivalve molluscs, which are listed in the Annex to Regulation (EU) 2023/915. |
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Objective and rationale: [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, [ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from other damage from pests. |
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Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard: [ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex standard or related text): [ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic Animal Health Code, chapter number): [ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number): [X] None Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard? [ ] Yes [ ] No If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the international standard: |
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Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: Scientific opinion on an update of the risk assessment on inorganic arsenic in food, EFSA Journal. 2024;22:e8488. |
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Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy): Estimated July 2025. Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy): Estimated July 2025. |
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Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or(dd/mm/yy): This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. [ ] Trade facilitating measure |
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Final date for comments: [X] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification and/or (dd/mm/yy): 6 May 2025 Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body: European Commission DG Health and Food Safety, Unit A4-Multilateral International Relations Rue Froissart 101 B-1049 Brussels Tel: +(32 2) 29 54263 E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu |
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Text(s) available from: [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body: European Commission DG Health and Food Safety, Unit A4-Multilateral International Relations Rue Froissart 101 B-1049 Brussels Tel: +(32 2) 29 54263 E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu |