. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/BEL/5
29 March 2000
(00-1267)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  BELGIUM
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Social Affairs, Public Health and the Environment
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, whereapplicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Milk, eggs, beef-, pork-, and poultry-meat, oils and fat of animal origin, and
derived products, where the products contain more than 2 per cent animal fat
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Government Notice fixing
maximum limits for dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls in certain foodstuffs (5 pages)
5. Description of content:  Maximum limits for dioxins and PCB are established for the
products cited above under 3.  These products cannot be placed on the market if they exceed
a maximum limit of 5 pg TEQ of dioxins per gram fat and 200 ng of PCB (sum of 7
congeners) per gram fat, except for milk and milk products, for which the maximum limit ofPCB is 100 ng per gram fat, and for pork meat and derived products, for which the limit of
dioxins is 3 pg TEQ per gram fat.
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:  To be published in
the Official Journal of the Kingdom of Belgium when adopted (Available in French and
Dutch).
9. Proposed date of adoption:  1 May 2000
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  Immediately after publication
11. Final date for comments:  20 April 2000
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [  X ] National notification
authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:           G/SPS/N/BEL/5
Page 2
12. Texts available from: [     ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Ministry of Social Affairs, Public Health and the Environment
General Inspection for Foodstuffs
Centre administratif quartier esplanade 11ème étage
Boulevard Pachéco 19, Bte 5
1010 Bruxelles
Tel:  + 32 2 210 48 43
Fax:  + 32 2 210 48 16