elc annual general meeting 16 may 2006, brussels

ELC Annual General Meeting16 May 2006, Brussels

The FIA package Purity criteria – draft amendmentsRe-evaluation of food additivesAmendment to Directives 95/2 and 94/35REACHNew Regulation on organic productsGM legislationFood additives used in feedCCFAC 2006

17 February 2005: new working document-Revision 10

22 February 2005: WP on food additives – presentation of the new document

31 March 2005: ELC’s specific comments

15 July 2005: ELC’s additional data on economic impact of change of PA definition

July 2005: “informal” interservice consultation

Autumn 2005: “formal” interservice consultation

Commission proposals “Package food improvement agents” released mid-June??? Later???

Draft proposal on food additives

Commission WP 15 May

Translation of the FIA completed – but still one “technical problem”Commission meeting on 18 May to discuss an acceptable solution to that problem

If problem solved: the related text section will have to be translated Proposal published by mid-June If no agreement: ?????

Indication that Sanco would seriously think to a 7th amendment to MAD


Package on “food improvement agents”


Regulation Common

Authorisation Procedure

RegulationFood Additives

Regulation Food Enzymes

Regulation Food Flavourings

Structure

4 ChaptersI – General provisionsII – Placing on the market of foodstuffs containing a food additiveIII – LabellingIV – Other provisions

4 AnnexesI - List of functional classes of food additivesII – List of existing additivesIII – List of additives in additives and enzymesIV – List of foodstuffs considered as traditional where certain categories of additives are prohibited


Pros COMITOLOGY! Streamlining the authorisation procedure Centralised legislative reference for additives

Possible remaining general problemsConflicts in timing?Additives in additives Need to extend authorisation of non QS additives for their use in additives and enzymes Transfer of existing lists not so clear: working group


Commission WP 15 May – presentation of the WG

Aims Developing a suitable Food Category System Ensuring a correct transfer in the positive listReviewing the uses – remove if not used

MembersBelgium – Norway – Denmark – Greece? – Germany? ELC CIAA


Commission WP 15 May – presentation of the WG

Timing To be finalised in about 4 years max. (2 years adoption + 2 years to transfer the list)1st meeting: autumn – e-meetings + physical meetingsFrequency: every 3-4 months


Lobbying strategy

EP: support the Commission proposalsCOMITOLOGY!Coordination with AMFEP-EFFA-CIAA(CIAA meeting on 15 June – even if FIA package not published)

Council: ask for specific/technical amendments Active involvement of ELC members is paramount

SHARING THE INFORMATION IS ESSENTIAL!


Calendar

Assuming publication Commission proposal: June

EP 1st reading: first discussions in autumn 1st reading mid-2006?

Council: first discussions in July ???



Draft amendment to Dir. 96/77/EC (Misc. additives)Draft amendment to Dir. 95/31/EC (Sweeteners)

ResultsAlmost 100 % finalised on 15 May

(remaining: minor technical points + sucralose)Almost all ELC comments includedWill be proposed for voting at the SCFCAH in September (too late for the SC on 23 June)

Amendments to purity criteria

Re-evaluation of food additives

EFSA – AFC panel

December 2004: call for tender for a service contract concerning the preparation of reports on existing data for colours

24 Feb 2006: Contract signature (2)! Award: Centre for Substances and Integrated Risk Assessment (NL)

February 2006: Commission provided EFSA with 10 natural colors + 10 synthetic colors for review 2006

EFSA: good willingness to discuss with industry? REQUEST FOR INTAKE DATA


Exposure assessment – Possible impact of the intake assessment of feed additives

FEFANA project on intake assessment of feed additives explained at the ELC GA November 2005

ELC meeting with FEFANA on 27 January Impact limited to food additives with ADIs, which are used in feed: « sharing ADIs »

develop a close cooperation between FEFANA and the food additive sectors that are indirectly involved in the

feed additive intake assessment, to make sure that it will end up with realistic data rather than with an overestimation that might be detrimental both for food and feed applications.


Exposure assessment – Possible impact of the intake assessment of feed additives

Proposals for common action with FEFANA urge the EFSA Scientific Committee to be more ambitious in the development of a complete EU food consumption database: already supported by ELC. alternatively, ask EFSA to assess the uncertainty linked to the use of the UK food consumption data as a European model (i.e. weighting of the UK data by a uncertainty factor when they are considered as EU representative) ??? fight the principle that the consumption of the additive should be “well below ADI”, with no definition of what “well below” actually means ???

Calendar6th amendment adopted in 1st reading: 26 Oct 2005No 2nd readingCouncil adoption in June (Health Council – point B) Final adoption:?????

Expected entry into force: 18 months after publication in OJEC

6th Amendment to Directive 95/2 (Miscellaneous additives)

Position ELC

Support CIAA : exclusion of food and feed from general scope (Title I)

Exclusion of food additives from general scope (Title I)

REACH

1st reading EP

Food and food additives excluded from scope of REACH in ENVI Cte vote on 4th October 2005

Compromise amendment voted in plenary on 17 November 2005 – food additives in the scope but excluded from registration and other major titles

REACH

Council 1st reading

Council political agreement 13 December 2005 – essentially in line with EP plenary vote

Common position still to be adopted – Competitiveness Council 29-30 May?

REACH

2nd reading - futurePosition of the Commission: support for Council

compromise DG Environment: food out of scope DG Enterprise: supports Council

EP 2nd reading: PES (Mr Sacconi) reluctant to amend the scope, other issues have priority

The institutions aim at adopting REACH in 2nd reading

REACH

ELC – new position?Limited political interest in scope in 2nd reading: Food likely to remain in scope (Title 1), but exempt from all major titlesLobby still useful? Ask Commission for clarification/ interpretation of current wording?

REACH

Calendar

Commission

21 Dec 2005: adoption of the Comm. proposal for a Council Regulation on organic production and labelling of organic products

23 March 2006: DG Agri Standing Committee on organic farming draft Regulation amending Annex VI to Council Regulation 2092/91

New Regulation on organic products

Council

30-31 March: Council WP on organic farming20 April: Council WP on organic farming

EP30 May: EP AGRI COM – discussion on draft opinion

(consultative)

13 June: adoption in EP plenary

19 June: Council political agreement?

New rules proposed to apply from 1 January 2009


Content An answer to the conclusions of the Council of October 2004 on the European Action Plan for organic food and farming of June 2004

Concerns for ELC1. Definition “products produced by GMOs”2. Future of Annex VI of the current

Regulation (EEC) 2092/913. The “bio” labelling


Definition “products produced by GMOs”

“means food and feed additives, flavourings, vitamins, enzymes, processing aids, […] produced by nourishing an organism with materials that are in whole or in part GMOs.

No comment on it at this stage, in line with CIAA.Nevertheless, creates a dangerous precedent in the legislation!


Future of - to date – authorised ingredients of non-agricultural origin and PA in the future Regulation (Annex VI of Reg. 2092/91)

Maintaining the current practices (certain additives, micro-organism preparations…)Take the opportunity to put an effective EU harmonisation, since it has not been completed yet (the use of certain additives still governed by MS)

March: supported CIAA draft position accordingly


The “bio” labelling

Restriction to the use of the term “bio” in labelling of non-organic products

Bio = of biological origin versus Bio = organic

Pb for existing registered brands Potential source of confusion since this restriction does not apply to products that clearly cannot be associated with agricultural production

March: asked CIAA to revise its draft position accordingly – but not taken on board


Importance of the lobby at national level – Council representatives


Status of fermentation products – GMMs

Regulations 1829/2003 & 1830/2003- before 7 November 2005, the Commission shall forward to the EP and the Council a report on the implementation of these Regulations

2005: ELC comments on Commission Questionnaires re. Implementation of Reg. 1829/2003 and 1830/2003

May 2006: report 1830/2003 – just published report 1829/2003 - still expected

Status of fermentation products (GMMs kept under contained use / nutrients) to be clarified??? Doubtful: SCFCAH 24 Sept. 2004

GM legislation

Reg. 1831/2003 – notification

7 Nov. 2005: publication of the Commission Register of existing feed additives, further to their notification by manufacturers before Nov. 2004 still legally present on the market vs “informative” list?Format of the list

Before 7 Nov. 2010 : submission of an application for authorisation of the notified additive to Commission and EFSA, on the basis of detailed guidelines/guidances

Notification of feed additives

Calendar

Guidelines from the Commission: mid-summer?

Guidances from EFSA: already worked on certain documents

Food additives used as feed additives: EFSA more strict than the Commission?

Notification of feed additives

In preparation of this 2006 meeting, ELC member of :

e-WG on revision of the principles of GSFAKey issue for ELC: defend possibility of exceptions to the general principle that additives with ADI specified should have numerical limits. PRINCIPLE INCLUDED in the proposed procedures for consideration of the entry and review of food additive provisions in the GSFA.Will be forwarded to the CAC, through the CCGP, for inclusion in the Procedural Manual.e-WG on GSFA Quality Control Priority Additives: ELC channelled comments for several members.

CCFAC 2006

Additionally, written comments provided on:

Revision of class names and INS (CL 2005/32-FAC)

Additional revisions to INS (CL 2005/38-FAC) Now different INS for Tagetes extract (E161 b i) and lutein from Tagetes extract (E161 b ii)

CCFAC 2006

In preparation to CCFAC 2007, ELC is member of:

e-WG for consideration on relevant amendments to the Procedural ManualFor monitoring purposes mainly.

eWG on GSFA Quality Control (priority additives)Possibility to channel comments from ELC members

CCFAC 2006


Future strategy – priority additivesPay attention to WTO rulesNot enter too much into details – give some flexibility whenever possibleWG to support Sanco’s work: F – UK – SP?

CCFAC 2006

The new Committee

CCFAC to be split in 2 parts from 2007: contaminants / additives.

Hosting country for additives from 2007? China???

Name of the new Committee? CCFA???

More information at CAC meeting in July 2006

CCFAC 2006

elc annual general meeting 16 may 2006, brussels

Documents

food additives presentation

list of additives

qs additives

additives draft amendment

list of existing additives

food additive sectors

intake data slide

uk food consumption