Regulatory Updates

Distribution date: 18 February 2013

The notified text suspends, on a temporary basis, for an extendable period of one year, the sanitary registration of veterinary drugs for production animals containing ivermectin-, abamectin- and doramectin-based molecules, whether alone or combined, the residue persistence and withdrawal period of which exceed 28 days from when they were last administered. Establishments formulating, importing and distributing such drugs are to provide the Animal Health Directorate with a list of the preparations subject to this Decision seven working days at the latest after its publication in the Official Journal La Gaceta. The marketing, distribution and storage of preparations governed by this instrument that are to be found with importers and distributors and in veterinary pharmacies are permitted for a period not exceeding nine months from the entry into force of the Decision. Once this period of time is over, any imports will be confiscated without right to compensation, or rejected at the owner's expense. After the abovementioned period of time, the domestic manufacture, importation, distribution, storage and use of veterinary drugs governed by this Decision will be prohibited. Upon the entry into force of this Decision, MAGFOR, through the DirectorateGeneral of Agricultural and Livestock Protection and Health (DGPSA), will only authorize the importation of preparations governed by this provision for which applications are presented in the first three months following the entry into force of the Decision. Once this period is over, applications for importing such products will no longer be considered.

Products Covered: Medicamentos veterinarios

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Distribution date: 12 February 2013

Products Covered: Communiqué on some industrial products which are subject to control to check conformity with mandatory standards (HS Code; Listed in Annex-1).

Regulation Type: Corrigendum to Regular Notification

Distribution date: 08 February 2013 | Final date for Comment: 09 April 2013

This standard replaces GB 6783-1994 "Food Additive Gelatin". Compared with GB 6783-1994, the following changes have been made: - Delete the classification of gelatin, regulate the specifications of gelatine; - Delete the specification of Brookfield viscosity, pH, isoionic point; - Rename transparency to transmission ratio, and revise the test methods; - Add the specifications of peroxide and lead; - Revise the detection method of arsenic, chromium and sulfur dioxide; - Delete the requirements of inspection rules, mark, packing and transportation; and - List the related detection method in the appendix. The appendix A of this standard is the normative appendix. This standard replaces all previous versions of the standards: GB 6783-1986, GB 6783-1994.

Products Covered: Food additive Gelatin

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Distribution date: 08 February 2013 | Final date for Comment: 09 April 2013

This standard replaces GB 6783-1994 "Food Additive Gelatin". Compared with GB 6783-1994, the following changes have been made: - Delete the classification of gelatin, regulate the specifications of gelatine; - Delete the specification of Brookfield viscosity, pH, isoionic point; - Rename transparency to transmission ratio, and revise the test methods; - Add the specifications of peroxide and lead; - Revise the detection method of arsenic, chromium and sulfur dioxide; - Delete the requirements of inspection rules, mark, packing and transportation; and - List the related detection method in the appendix. The appendix A of this standard is the normative appendix. This standard replaces all previous versions of the standards: GB 6783-1986, GB 6783-1994.

Products Covered: Food additive Gelatin

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Distribution date: 08 February 2013 | Final date for Comment: 01 April 2013

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the US Department of Agriculture is proposing to amend the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation into the United States of fresh apricots from continental Spain. As a condition of entry, fresh apricots from continental Spain would have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach that would include registration of production locations and packinghouses, pest monitoring, sanitary practices, chemical and biological controls, and phytosanitary treatment. The fruit would also have to be imported in commercial consignments, with each consignment identified throughout its movement from place of production to port of entry in the United States. Consignments would have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of Spain certifying that the fruit is free from all quarantine pests and has been produced in accordance with the systems approach. This proposed rule would allow for the importation of fresh apricots from continental Spain into the United States while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of quarantine pests. Federal Register Volume 78, Number 20 (Wednesday, 30 January 2013), Pages 6227-6232

Products Covered: Apricots

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Distribution date: 08 February 2013 | Final date for Comment: 01 April 2013

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the US Department of Agriculture is proposing to amend the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation into the United States of fresh apricots from continental Spain. As a condition of entry, fresh apricots from continental Spain would have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach that would include registration of production locations and packinghouses, pest monitoring, sanitary practices, chemical and biological controls, and phytosanitary treatment. The fruit would also have to be imported in commercial consignments, with each consignment identified throughout its movement from place of production to port of entry in the United States. Consignments would have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of Spain certifying that the fruit is free from all quarantine pests and has been produced in accordance with the systems approach. This proposed rule would allow for the importation of fresh apricots from continental Spain into the United States while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of quarantine pests. Federal Register Volume 78, Number 20 (Wednesday, 30 January 2013), Pages 6227-6232

Products Covered: Apricots

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Distribution date: 08 February 2013 | Final date for Comment: 09 April 2013

This standard applies to food additive cellulose purified and mechanically disintegrated by producing from alpha cellulose obtained as a pulp from fibrous plant materials. It specifies the technical requirements and testing methods for food additive cellulose.

Products Covered: Food additive Cellulose

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Distribution date: 08 February 2013 | Final date for Comment: 09 April 2013

This standard applies to food additive cellulose purified and mechanically disintegrated by producing from alpha cellulose obtained as a pulp from fibrous plant materials. It specifies the technical requirements and testing methods for food additive cellulose.

Products Covered: Food additive Cellulose

Regulation Type: Regular notification

Distribution date: 07 February 2013

The proposal notified in G/SPS/N/EU/30 (27 July 2012) has been adopted as "Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 88/2013 of 31 January 2013 amending Decision 2007/777/EC and Regulation (EC) No 798/2008 as regards the entries for Ukraine in the lists of third countries from which certain meat, meat products, eggs and egg products may be introduced into the Union" (OJ L 32,1 February 2013, pp. 8-10). http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2013/sps/EEC/13_0577_00_e.pdf http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2013/sps/EEC/13_0577_00_f.pdf http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2013/sps/EEC/13_0577_00_s.pdf

Products Covered:

Regulation Type: Addendum to Regular Notification

Distribution date: 07 February 2013

The proposal notified in G/SPS/N/EU/30 (27 July 2012) has been adopted as "Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 88/2013 of 31 January 2013 amending Decision 2007/777/EC and Regulation (EC) No 798/2008 as regards the entries for Ukraine in the lists of third countries from which certain meat, meat products, eggs and egg products may be introduced into the Union" (OJ L 32,1 February 2013, pp. 8-10). http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2013/sps/EEC/13_0577_00_e.pdf http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2013/sps/EEC/13_0577_00_f.pdf http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2013/sps/EEC/13_0577_00_s.pdf

Products Covered:

Regulation Type: Addendum to Regular Notification