NORWAY: TEMPORARY GUIDELINES DATED 4 JULY 1997 CONCERNING LABELLING OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODSTUFFS AND FOODSTUFF INGREDIENTS The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6. G/TBT/Notif.97.383. 1. Member to Agreement notifying: NORWAY. If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2). 2. Agency responsible: Ministry of Health and Social Affairs/Norwegian Food Control Authority. Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification can be indicated if different from above. 3. Notified under Article 2.9.2. 4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Prepacked foodstuffs and ingredients except food additives, flavourings and extraction solvents. 5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Temporary Guidelines dated 4 July 1997 Concerning Labelling of Genetically Modified Foodstuffs and Foodstuff Ingredients (2 pages). 6. Description of content: The guidelines contain and describe labelling requirements concerning genetically modified prepacked foodstuffs and ingredients except food additives, flavourings and extraction solvents. Based on the principle that the labelling should not be misleading to the consumer labelling requirements will now be introduced stating that the labelling of foodstuffs must include an indication (ex. "genetically modified") expressing that the foodstuff or the ingredient used in the foodstuffs is produced by using genetically modified organisms. If no such an indication is placed on the package of the products this will be considered as misleading to the consumer. The product or each ingredient of the product may contain up to 2 per cent of genetically modified material without needing to be labelled. 7. Objective and rationale: To ensure the consumer information by labelling requirements, that genetically modified organisms have been used in/during the production of the foodstuffs or ingredient. 8. Relevant documents: Norwegian Regulation dated 21 December 1993 No. 1385 concerning labelling of foodstuffs (Section 5, first section) implementing Council Directive 79/112/EEC on the labelling of foodstuffs (ref. Article 2). 9. Proposed date of adoption: 4 October 1997; Proposed date of entry into force: 4 October 1997. (The guidelines are not a new formal regulation, but are only a description of the principles which will be laid down concerning the practising of existing labelling requirements relating to genetically modified foodstuffs and ingredients. The guidelines are based on the principle that the labelling on foodstuffs should not be misleading to the consumer. The principle is already set down in the existing Norwegian regulation on the labelling of foodstuffs and is the same principle as appears in Article 2 of Commission Directive 79/112/EEC.) 10. Final date for comments: 15 September 1997. 11. Texts available from: National enquiry point or Norwegian Food Control Authority, FAX: + 22246699. (0226)

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