Regulation 2004/1935 - Materials and articles intended to come into contact with food

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1.

Current status

This regulation has been published on November 13, 2004 and entered into force on December  3, 2004.

2.

Key information

official title

Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 October 2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food and repealing Directives 80/590/EEC and 89/109/EEC
 
Legal instrument Regulation
Number legal act Regulation 2004/1935
Original proposal COM(2003)689 EN
CELEX number i 32004R1935

3.

Key dates

Document 27-10-2004
Publication in Official Journal 13-11-2004; Special edition in Bulgarian: Chapter 13 Volume 045,Special edition in Romanian: Chapter 13 Volume 045,Special edition in Croatian: Chapter 13 Volume 029,OJ L 338, 13.11.2004
Effect 03-12-2004; Entry into force Date pub. + 20 See Art 28
27-10-2006; Partial application See Art 28
End of validity 31-12-9999

4.

Legislative text

13.11.2004   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 338/4

 

REGULATION (EC) No 1935/2004 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

of 27 October 2004

on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food and repealing Directives 80/590/EEC and 89/109/EEC

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 95 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1),

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (2),

Whereas:

 

(1)

Council Directive 89/109/EEC of 21 December 1988 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs (3) established general principles for eliminating the differences between the laws of the Member States as regards those materials and articles and provided for the adoption of implementing directives concerning specific groups of materials and articles (specific directives). This approach was successful and should be continued.

 

(2)

The specific directives adopted under Directive 89/109/EEC in general contain provisions which leave little room for the exercise of discretion by the Member States in their transposition besides being subject to frequent amendments required to adapt them rapidly to technological progress. It should therefore be possible for such measures to take the form of regulations or decisions. At the same time it is appropriate to include a number of additional subjects. Directive 89/109/EEC should therefore be replaced.

 

(3)

The principle underlying this Regulation is that any material or article intended to come into contact directly or indirectly with food must be sufficiently inert to preclude substances from being transferred to food in quantities large enough to endanger human health or to bring about an unacceptable change in the composition of the food or a deterioration in its organoleptic properties.

 

(4)

New types of materials and articles designed to actively maintain or improve the condition of the food (active food contact materials and articles) are not inert by their design, unlike traditional materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. Other types of new materials and articles are designed to monitor the condition of the food (intelligent food contact materials and articles). Both these types of materials and articles may be brought into contact with food. It is therefore necessary, for reasons of clarity and legal certainty, for active and intelligent food contact materials and articles to be included in the scope of this Regulation and the main requirements for their use to be established. Further requirements should be stated in specific measures, to include positive lists of authorised substances and/or materials and articles, which should be adopted as soon as possible.

 

(5)

Active food contact materials and articles are designed to deliberately incorporate ‘active’ components intended to be released into the food or to absorb substances from the food. They should be distinguished from materials and articles which are traditionally used to release their natural ingredients into specific types of food during the process of their manufacture, such as wooden barrels.

 

(6)

Active food contact materials and articles may change the composition or the organoleptic properties of the food only if the changes comply with the Community provisions applicable to food, such as the provisions of Directive 89/107/EEC (4) on food additives. In particular, substances such as food additives deliberately incorporated into certain active food contact materials and...


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This text has been adopted from EUR-Lex.

5.

Original proposal

 

6.

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