. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/EEC/142
15 November 2001
(01-5804)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission, Directorate General for Health and Consumer
Protection
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable).  Bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and marine gastropods (TARIC
position 0307)  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  EC member States and third countries trading with the European
Communities
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Draft Commission Decision
establishing the method of analysis and the maximum limits for certain marine biotoxins in
Bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and marine gastropods  (Page 7)
5. Description of content: Council Directive 91/492/EEC lays  down the health conditions for
the production and the placing on the market of live bivalve molluscs. Chapter V point 7 of
the Annex to this Directive establishes that the customary biological testing methods must
not give a positive result for the presence of Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) in the
edible parts of molluscs (the whole body or any part edible separately).  It is scientifically
demonstrated that certain marine biotoxins such as those of the Diarrhetic Shellfish
Poisoning (DSP) complex, Yessotoxins, Pectenotoxins and Azaspiracids, pose a serious
hazard to human health when present above certain limits in bibalve molluscs, echinoderms,tunicates or marine gastropods.  The purpose of the present proposal is, in the light of recent
scientific research, and in order to protect human health, to establish provisional maximum
limits and methods of analysis for the above mentioned biotoxins.  Methods of analysis and
provisional maximum limits must be harmonized and applied within Member States the
proposed limits are based on provisional data and should be re-evaluated where newscientific evidence becomes available.
6. 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           
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:           
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: European
Commission Document SANC O/2227/2001/Rev3 (Available in all EC languages)G/SPS/N/EEC/142
Page 2
9. Proposed date of adoption:  24 October 2001
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  After end of the SPS consultation period
11. Final date for comments:  45 days after the date of notification
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification
authority, [  X ] EC enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:           
12. Texts available from: [     ] National notification authority, [  X ] EC enquiry point or
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:           