January 2011
Irish legislation
EU Legislation
European Communities (Foot and Mouth Disease) (Restrictions on Imports from Bulgaria) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No 12 of 2011)
Summary: These regulations give effect to Commission Decision 2011/8/EU of 6 January 2011 concerning restrictions on the movement to Ireland of animals and animal products from Bulgaria due to the presence of foot and mouth disease in certain parts of that country.
Commission Regulation (EU) No 15/2011 (OJ L6, p3, 11/01/2011)of 10 January 2011 amending Regulation (EC) No 2074/2005 as regards recognised testing methods for detecting marine biotoxins in live bivalve mollusks
Summary: Recently developed alternatives to the biological methods for the determination of the marine biotoxins with lower limits of detection (LOD) have successfully been tested in prevalidation studies and as result this Regulation amends Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 2074/2005, Chapter III. It requires that the EU-RL LC-MS/MS method is the reference method for the detection of marine toxins as referred to in Chapter V(2)(c), (d) and (e) of Section VII of Annex III, to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004. To allow Member States to adapt their methods to the LC-MS/MS method as defined in the Annex, a series of mouse bioassay procedures, differing in the test portion (hepatopancreas or whole body) and in the solvents used for extraction and purification, may be still used until 31 December 2014 for detecting marine toxins as referred to in Chapter V(2)(c), (d) and (e) of Section VII of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004.
Regulation (EU) No 15/2011 will apply from the 1st July 2011.
Commission Directive 2011/3/EU (OJ L13, p59, 18/01/2011) of 17 January 2011 amending Directive 2008/128/EC laying down specific purity criteria on colours for use in foodstuffs
Summary: This Directive modifies and updates the purity of E160d lycopene. Current legislation lays down specifications only for lycopene from red tomatoes and has now been modified to include two other sources, synthetic lycopene and lycopene from Blakeslea trispora. The specifications for lycopene extracted from red tomatoes have been updated. The maximum limit for lead has also been lowered due to safety reasons. In addition the reference to natural strains is updated according to Regulation (EC) No. 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 (OJL12, p1, 15/01/2011) of 14 January 2011 on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food
Summary: This Regulation establishes specific requirements for the manufacture and marketing of plastic materials and articles which are either intended to come into contact with food. It updates the rules regarding food simulants and migration testing . The scope of the Regulation is extended to include plastic layers in multi-material multi-layers. The Regulation will apply from from 1 May 2011 and will repeal a list of existing Directives from this date. Materials and articles that have been lawfully placed on the market before 1 May 2011 may be placed on the market until 31 December 2012.
Commission Directive 2011/8/EU (OJ L26, p11, 29/01/2011) of 28 January 2011 amending Directive 2002/72/EC as regards the restriction of use of Bisphenol A in plastic infant feeding bottles
Summary: This Directive amends Directive 2002/72/EC with regard to 2.2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane, commonly known as Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is used as monomer in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics. Polycarbonate plastics are used amongst others in the manufacture of infant feeding bottles. The Directive prohibits its use from the 1st March 2011 in the manufacture of, and from 1st June 2011 the placing on the market and importation into the EU of, infant feeding bottles .
Commission Regulation (EU) No 61/2011 of 24 January 2011 (OJ L23, p1, 27/01/2011) amending Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 on the characteristics of olive oil and olive-residue oil and on the relevant methods of analysis
Summary: This Regulation inserts limit values for fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) as well as a method for the determination of their content. The Regulation will apply from 1st April 2011. Products which have been legally manufactured and labelled in the EU or legally imported into the EU and released for free circulation before 1 April 2011 may be marketed until all stocks are used up.
Commission Regulation (EU) No 14/2011 (OJ L6, p1, 11/01/2011)of 10 January 2011 approving non-minor amendments to the specification for a name entered in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications (Limone di Sorrento (PGI))
Summary: This Regulation approves Italy’s application to amend the specification for the protected geographical indication ‘Limone di Sorrento’ registered in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 2400/96 (2), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 2446/2000
Commission Regulation (EU) No 16/2011 (OJ L6, p7, 11/01/2011) of 10 January 2011 laying down implementing measures for the Rapid alert system for food and feed
Summary: Article 51 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 requires the European Commission to establish implementing measures for the Rapid Alert System in particular as regards the specific conditions and procedures applicable to the transmission of notifications and supplementary information. The Regulation sets out the duties of members of the network and classifies notifications into alert, information and border rejection notifications
Commission Regulation (EU) No 53/2011 (OJ L19, p1, 22/01/2011) of 21 January 2011 amending Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 laying down certain detailed rules for implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2008 as regards the categories of grapevine products, oenological practices and the applicable restrictions
Summary: This Regulation amends the existing EU rules to take account of these new oenological practices adopted by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) . It grants derogation to certain specified wines from the maximum sulphur dioxide contents given in Annex I B to Regulation (EC) No 606/2009.
Last reviewed: 25/2/2011