| 1. |
Notifying Member: European Union If applicable, name of local government involved: |
| 2. |
Agency responsible: European Commission, Health and Food Safety Directorate-General |
| 3. |
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): Muscle meat of fish, molluscs and salt |
| 4. |
Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: [X] All trading partners [ ] Specific regions or countries: |
| 5. |
Title of the notified document: Draft Commission Regulation (EU) amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of mercury in fish and salt (Text with EEA relevance). Language(s): English. Number of pages: 4+4 https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2021/SPS/EU/21_7732_00_e.pdf https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2021/SPS/EU/21_7732_01_e.pdf |
| 6. |
Description of content: The draft Regulation lowers existing maximum levels for mercury in cephalopods, marine gastropods and muscle meat of certain fish species, for which EU MLs are currently established under Regulation (EC) No 629/2008 and Regulation (EU) No 420/2011, and it establishes a new maximum level for mercury in salt. |
| 7. |
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. |
| 8. |
Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard: [X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex standard or related text): Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed (CXC 1995) [ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic Animal Health Code, chapter number): [ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number): [ ] None Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard? [ ] Yes [X] No If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the international standard: Based on a risk assessment of the European Food Safety Authority, it was concluded that the exposure of EU consumers to mercury should be lowered. The available occurrence data in the European Union indicates that there is margin to lower the MLs for mercury in certain commodities. This measure is considered necessary to ensure a high level of human health protection. |
| 9. |
Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: |
| 10. |
Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy): Estimated April 2022. Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy): Estimated April 2022. |
| 11. |
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 that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. The foodstuffs listed in the Annex, lawfully placed on the market before the entry into force of this Regulation, may remain on the market until the date of minimum durability or use-by-date. [ ] Trade facilitating measure |
| 12. |
Final date for comments: [X] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification and/or (dd/mm/yy): 11 February 2022 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 D2-Multilateral International Relations Rue Froissart 101 B-1049 Brussels Tel: +(32 2) 29 54263 Fax: +(32 2) 29 98090 E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu |
| 13. |
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 D2-Multilateral International Relations Rue Froissart 101 B-1049 Brussels Tel: +(32 2) 29 54263 Fax: +(32 2) 29 98090 E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu |