Foodlaw-Reading Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK Providng access to food law since May 1996
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Food Additives - Archive Page

Providing information on the perocess of adopting the current controls. For the current controls, see: Improvement Agents: Food Additives

Development of EU Controls 2006-2008

In July 2006, the Commission published a set of four proposed Regulations which would replace the current system and provide a common basis for controls on food additives, food flavourings and food enzymes. They were adopted by the Council of Ministers in November 2008 and published in the Official Journal on 31 December 2008.

Documents

The proposals were published as Commission Documents as follows:

• Additives: COM/2006/0428 final - Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on food additives {SEC(2006) 1040} {SEC(2006) 1041}
• Flavourings: COM/2006/0427 final - Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on flavourings and certain food ingredients with flavouring properties for use in and on foods and amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1576/89, Council Regulation (EEC) No 1601/91, Regulation (EC) No 2232/96 and Directive 2000/13/EC {SEC(2006)1042} {SEC(2006)1043}
• Enzymes: COM/2006/0425 final - Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on food enzymes and amending Council Directive 83/417/EEC, Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999, Directive 2000/13/EC, and Council Directive 2001/112/EC {SEC(2006) 1044} {SEC(2006) 1045}
• Common authorisation procedure: COM/2006/0423 final - Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a common authorisation procedure for food additives, food enzymes and food flavourings

Amended proposals were published by the Commission in October 2007:

• Enzymes: COM (2007) 0670 - Amended Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on food enzymes and amending Council Directive 83/417/EEC, Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999, Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, and Council Directive 2001/112/EC and Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the European Parliament and of the Council (presented by the Commission pursuant to article 250 (2) of the EC Treaty)
• Flavourings: COM (2007) 0671 - Amended proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on flavourings and certain food ingredients with flavouring properties for use in and on foods and amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1576/89, Council Regulation (EEC) No 1601/91, Regulation (EC) No 2232/96 and Directive 2000/13/EC (presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 250 (2) of the EC Treaty)
• Common authorisation procedure: COM (2007) 0672 - Amended Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a common authorisation procedure for food additives, food enzymes and food flavourings (presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 250 (2) of the EC Treaty)
• Additives: COM (2007) 0673 - Amended proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on food additives (presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 250 (2) of the EC Treaty)

Following the adoption of Common Positions by the Council of Ministers (10th March 2008), on the 11th March 2008 the Commission published 3 communications:

• Common authorisation procedure: COM (2008) 0145 -Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 251 (2) of the EC Treaty concerning the common position of the Council on the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a common authorisation procedure for food additives, food enzymes and food flavourings
• Enzymes: COM (2008) 0144 - Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 251 (2) of the EC Treaty concerning the common position of the Council on the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on food enzymes and amending Council Directive 83/417/EEC, Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999, Directive 2000/13/EC, Council Directive 2001/112/EC and Regulation (EC) No 258/97
• Additives: COM (2008) 0143 - Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 251 (2) of the EC Treaty concerning the common position of the Council on the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on food additives

Following the European Parliament's 2nd Reading (8th July 2008), on 16th October 2008 the Commission published 4 opinions:

• Common authorisation procedure: COM (2008) 0605 - OPINION OF THE COMMISSION pursuant to Article 251 (2), third subparagraph, point (c) of the EC Treaty, on the European Parliament's amendments to the Council's common position regarding the proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL establishing a common authorisation procedure for food additives, food enzymes and food flavourings
• Flavourings: COM (2008) 0606 - OPINION OF THE COMMISSION pursuant to Article 251 (2), third subparagraph, point (c) of the EC Treaty, on the European Parliament's amendments to the Council's common position regarding the proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on flavourings and certain food ingredients with flavouring properties for use in and on foods and amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1576/89, Council Regulation (EEC) No 1601/91, Regulation (EC) No 2232/96 and Directive 2000/13/EC
• Enzymes: COM (2008) 0607 - OPINION OF THE COMMISSION pursuant to Article 251 (2), third subparagraph, point (c) of the EC Treaty, on the European Parliament's amendments to the Council's common position regarding the proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on food enzymes and amending Council Directive 83/417/EEC, Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999, Directive 2000/13/EC, Council Directive 2001/112/EC and Regulation (EC) No 258/97
• Additives: COM (2008) 0608 - OPINION OF THE COMMISSION pursuant to Article 251 (2), third subparagraph, point (c) of the EC Treaty, on the European Parliament's amendments to the Council's common position regarding the proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on food additives

The adopted regulations were published in the Official Journal on 31 December 2008. They entered into force on various dates from 20 January 2009 until 20 January 2011:

• Common Authorisation Procedure: Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 establishing a common authorisation procedure for food additives, food enzymes and food flavourings (OJ L354, 31.12.2008, page 1)
• Enzymes: Regulation (EC) No 1332/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on food enzymes and amending Council Directive 83/417/EEC, Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999, Directive 2000/13/EC, Council Directive 2001/112/EC and Regulation (EC) No 258/97 (OJ L354, 31.12.2008, page 7)
• Additives: Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on food additives (OJ L354, 31.12.2008, page 16)
• Flavourings: Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on flavourings and certain food ingredients with flavouring properties for use in and on foods and amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1601/91, Regulations (EC) No 2232/96 and (EC) No 110/2008 and Directive 2000/13/EC (OJ L354, 31.12.2008, page 34)

News Items

The following are links to news items available on this site relating to the progress of the proposals, the adoption of the controls and subsequent related developments:

Progress of the proposals

• 28 July 2006 - Commission proposes new legislation on food additives, flavourings and enzymes
• 31 May 2007 - Initial Council discussions on the food improvement agents package (Council discussions)
• 11 April 2007 - Additives, enzymes and flavourings: MEPs alter the menu (EP Committee discussions)
• 8 May 2007 - Flavourings and enzymes under supervision (EP Committee discussions)
• 10 July 2007 - Food additives legislation fit for the 21st century: Parliament updates legislation on food additives (EP First Reading)
• 19 December 2007 - Council reaches political agreement on food improvement agents package (Council discussions)
• 10 March 2008 - Food improvement agents: Council adopts Common Position (Council Common Position)
• 6 May 2008 - Update food additive rules and label azo dyes, says EP Environment Committee (EP Committee discussions)
• 8 July 2008 - EP Discussions on modernising the rules on food additives and labelling of azo dyes (EP Second Reading)

Adoption of the Regulations

• 20 November 2008 - Adoption of Additive Regulations by the Council of Ministers (French language version) (Council Adoption)

Subsequent Developments

• 28 June 2010 - Proposed changes to the structure of EU food additives legislation: FSA Consultation on Commission proposals