Protection of human health: addition of nutrients to food

The Commission supports the common position as adopted by the Council at qualified majority. It is in line with the aims and the approach taken in the Commission’s original proposal and takes into account several amendments proposed by the European Parliament. The common position reflects the spirit of all or part of 17 of the 23 amendments which were acceptable by the Commission in full, in part, in principle or subject to drafting changes and of 3 amendments which the Commission had originally indicated it was unable to accept.

The Commission would also like to remark that, concerning the modification to the compulsory elements of nutritional labelling, the common position makes implicit reference to the incompleteness of the Annex of Directive 90/496/EEC. Moreover, it includes a statement by the Commission indicating its intention to revise the Annex of Directive 90/496/EEC on nutritional labelling and consequently reflect these modifications in the Regulation on the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods. The Commission also engages itself to present within two years following the adoption of the Regulation a proposal for the establishment of maximum/minimum amounts of vitamins and minerals and of any related condition.

Lastly, it should be noted that in the framework of Article 4 on Restrictions on the addition of vitamins and minerals (second indent) the Commission will examine the possible addition of food categories such as confectionery.