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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Brand Hong Kong - Asia world city
MY COLOUR

Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 230/2/12

26 January 2011

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 65/2011

European Union (EU)* : Regulations on Plastic Materials and Articles Intended to Come into Contact with Foodstuffs

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 218/2010 dated 14 May 2010, the European Commission (the Commission) has adopted a Regulation concerning the specific rules for plastic materials and articles to be applied for their safe use. Details are set out in Commission Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011 (the Regulation), which can be accessed through the following link:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:012:0001:0089:EN:PDF 

DETAILS

2. The Regulation establishes specific requirements for the manufacture and marketing of plastic materials and articles that come into contact with food and fall under the categories set out in Article 2 of the Regulation.
 

3. The Union list of authorised substances set out in Annex I of the Regulation has included those substances that can be intentionally used in the manufacture of plastic layers in plastic materials and articles and shall be subject to the restrictions and specifications set out in Articles 8-12 of the Regulation. Other substances that are not included in the Union list can only be used if they are by way of derogation from Article 5 of the Regulation. 
 

4. At the marketing stages, the business operator shall issue a written declaration for plastic materials and articles, products from intermediate stages of their manufacturing as well as for the substances intended for the manufacturing of those materials and articles. The written declaration shall contain the information laid down in Annex IV of the Regulation. 
 

5. The business operator shall also provide appropriate documentation to demonstrate that the materials and articles, products from intermediate stages of their manufacturing as well as the substances intended for the manufacturing of those materials and article upon the request of the national competent authorities. The documentation shall contain the conditions and results of testing, calculations, including modelling, other analysis, and evidence on the safety or reasoning demonstrating compliance. Rules for experimental demonstration of compliance are set out in Chapter V of the Regulation. 
 

6. To allow sufficient time for operators and traders of plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food to adapt to the requirements under the Regulation, unless some provisions specified, the Regulation shall apply from 1 May 2011.

ENQUIRIES

7. For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5556.

Yours faithfully,




(Miss Anita WONG)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.




　

Note ：

  • (1) While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.
  • (2)The biweekly newsletter "Business Alert - EU" of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council provides up-to-date information on the latest developments in EU trade policy and trade regulations. The newsletter is available for free e-subscription and can be accessed through
    http://www.tdctrade.com/alert/eualert.htm.