| 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): Non-parboiled milled rice (polished or white rice), rice flour, rice？based drinks, fish, crustaceans, bivalve molluscs, food for infants and young children, fruit juices, concentrated fruit juices and nectars 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 arsenic in certain foods (Text with EEA relevance). Language(s): English. Number of pages: 4+3 https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2022/SPS/EEC/22_3417_00_e.pdf https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2022/SPS/EEC/22_3417_01_e.pdf |
| 6. |
Description of content: The draft Regulation lowers the existing maximum level for inorganic arsenic in non-parboiled milled rice (polished or white rice), for which currently already an EU ML is established under Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006, and it establishes new maximum levels for inorganic arsenic in rice flour, rice-based drinks, fish, crustaceans, bivalve molluscs, food for infants and young children, fruit juices, concentrated fruit juices and nectars and 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: On the basis of a risk assessment the European Food Safety Authority concluded that in view of the exposure of EU consumers to inorganic arsenic, a risk to consumers cannot be excluded. On the basis of the available occurrence data in the European Union, there is margin to lower the ML for non-parboiled milled rice (polished or white rice). 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 December 2022. Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy): Estimated December 2022. |
| 11. |
Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or (dd/mm/yy): 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. [ ] Trade facilitating measure |
| 12. |
Final date for comments: [X] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification and/or (dd/mm/yy): 12 July 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 |