Activites

• 1996/11/23 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Regulation 1996/2232
  • OJ L 299 23.11.1996, p. 0001
• 1996/10/28 Final act signed
• 1996/10/28 End of procedure in Parliament
• #1939
• 1996/06/26 Council Meeting
• 1996/05/22 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T4-0237/1996 summary

    Adopting the report by Mrs Kirsten JENSEN (PSE, DK), Parliament amended at second reading the proposal for a regulation on flavouring substances used in foodstuffs. It called for already authorized flavouring substances produced in processes or with primary substances which were not the basis for the Scientific Committee for Food's assessment to be resubmitted to the Scientific Committee for Food for a complete assessment. Flavouring substances should be designated in such a way as to protect the intellectual property rights of the flavouring substances' producer.�

• 1996/05/21 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    The rapporteur declared her support for Amendment No 2, which proposed that flavouring substances should be subjected to a full examination in order to prevent any risk to the environment, and also wanted to see the result of any genetic modification of such substances clearly displayed by appropriate labelling. Commissioner Bangemann replied that labelling was governed by another directive, whereas the genetic modification of flavourings did not come within the remit of the directive in question. He could, however, accept Amendment No 2, which provided for a full preliminary examination, and Amendment No 4, which related to the protection of patents on behalf of the producers of flavouring substances.

• 1996/04/24 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A4-0143/1996
• 1996/02/01 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #1899
• 1995/12/22 Council Meeting
  • 12675/1/1995 summary

    The common position of the Council takes into account the amendments incorporated in the amended proposal of the Commission, and notably those aimed at: - establishing a positive list of flavouring substances the use of which is authorized to the exclusion of all others; - including, in the inventory, general criteria for the evaluation of flavouring substances; - adding a recital concerning the confidentiality of data and the assurance of the protection of intellectual property connected with the development and manufacture of a flavouring substance; - ensuring that the evaluation of the safety of flavouring substances containing a genetically modified organism takes into account environmental safety as provided for in Directive 90/220/EEC; - specifying (in the annex) that flavouring substances should present no risk to the health of the consumer; must be kept under constant supervision and must be re-evaluated whenever necessary; do not mislead the consumer; cannot be authorized until the Scientific Committee for Food has delivered its opinion. In addition, the common position substantially tightens the procedures for laying down the positive list of flavourings. At the first stage this provides for: - the notification to the Commission by the Member States of the substances which may be used on their territory; - within one year from the end of the notification period the Commission will adopt after an opinion from the Standing Committee for Food an inventory of flavourings whose legal use in foodstuffs will be recognized by the other Member States; - within ten months from the adoption of the inventory, the adoption of a programme for evaluation of all substances included in the inventory. During this period, the Member States could suspend or restrict the use of a flavouring substance under a specific safeguard clause. Second stage: within five years from the adoption of the evaluation programme, the adoption by the Commission of the positive list following the Commitology procedure IIIb. �

• #1886
• 1995/11/23 Council Meeting
• 1994/06/03 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(1994)0236 summary

    The Commission's amended proposal took over the European Parliament's amendments concerning the order of the recitals, in light of the importance of the regulation for public health. However, the Commission did not accept the amendments concerning: - the recital and articles providing for a special procedure for flavourings containing genetically modified organisms; - the transmission of draft measures to be adopted by the Commission; - the publication of flavourings in the form of codes in order to protect intellectual property; - the role of the Scientific Committee for Food in drawing up the positive lists. �

• 1994/05/05 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T3-0434/1994 summary

    Parliament adopted the report by Mrs Kirsten JENSEN (PSE, DK) on the proposal for a regulation on flavouring substances intended for use in foodstuffs. The aim was to attain a high level of protection for consumers, to permit the free movement of goods within the internal market and to create greater legal certainty for economic operators, particularly those in the agri-food sector. The report highlighted that Directive 88/388/EEC could only have its full effect if the Community procedure was approved. The Scientific Committee for Food should have the final say when it came to substances that could be included on the "positive list". �

• 1994/05/03 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 1994/04/25 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A3-0308/1994
• 1993/12/17 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1993/12/01 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(1993)0609 summary

    The proposed regulation had the following objectives: - to establish a high level of protection for consumers; - to improve the free movement of goods in the single market; - to increase legal certainty for economic operators and in particular for the food industry. In order to achieve this the regulation defined general criteria for the use of flavouring substances in foodstuffs. On the basis of these general criteria and the opinion of the Scientific Committee for Food a positive list of flavouring substances would be drawn up using a committee procedure. Substances deemed acceptable by the Scientific Committee for Food would be included on the list, which was to be drawn up in a number of stages. After 31 December 1993 the Member States would not be able to prevent the marketing or use in foodstuffs of flavouring substances which complied with the provisions of the regulation. �

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(1993)0609
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A3-0308/1994
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T3-0434/1994
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(1994)0236
• Council position published: 12675/1/1995
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A4-0143/1996
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T4-0237/1996
• : Regulation 1996/2232
• : OJ L 299 23.11.1996, p. 0001

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)