EU Government Notices for June 15

The European Union issued the following trade-related releases on June 15, 2011 (notices of most significance will be given separate headlines):

• Proposed update of trade legislation procedures. The European Commission has proposed to update trade legislation procedures in its "Omnibus II Proposal", which would modify the EU procedures for the adoption of legal decisions taken under 10 specific regulations, including those concerning the textile and steel trade, the EU's Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), EU trade sanctions imposed against the U.S., etc. (here)
• Breakthrough in food labeling negotiations. The European Parliament, Council, and Commission negotiators have outlined agreements on remaining issues on the new EU legislation that would change existing rules on information that is compulsory on all labels and add a requirement to list key nutritional information. The Council must still approve the draft legislation, but Parliament's negotiators hope to receive its final confirmation by June 22. (here)
• Proposed phosphate ban for certain detergents. The European Parliament's Environment Committee has stated that a proposed ban on the use of phosphates in household laundry detergents from January 1, 2013 should be widened to household dishwasher detergents as of 2015. The committee states that phosphates released into water cause algae to grow at the expense of other aquatic life. (here)
• Classification & labeling of substances. The European Chemicals Agency's Committee for Risk Assessment has adopted opinions on eight proposals for harmonized classification and labeling across Europe on types of white spirit, chloroform, etc., and two opinions on restriction proposals intended to reduce the emissions of mercury. (here)