28.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 114/1

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in the merger section of the Competition website of the Commission (http://ec.europa.eu/competition/mergers/cases/). This website provides various facilities to help locate individual merger decisions, including company, case number, date and sectoral indexes,

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in electronic form on the EUR-Lex website (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html?locale=en) under document number 32018M8793. EUR-Lex is the online access to European law.

28.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 114/2

28.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 114/3

Note 1:

Generally the date of cessation of presumption of conformity will be the date of withdrawal (‘dow’), set by the European standardisation organisation, but attention of users of these standards is drawn to the fact that in certain exceptional cases this can be otherwise.

Note 2.1:

The new (or amended) standard has the same scope as the superseded standard. On the date stated, the superseded standard ceases to give presumption of conformity with the essential or other requirements of the relevant Union legislation.

Note 2.2:

The new standard has a broader scope than the superseded standard. On the date stated the superseded standard ceases to give presumption of conformity with the essential or other requirements of the relevant Union legislation.

Note 2.3:

The new standard has a narrower scope than the superseded standard. On the date stated the (partially) superseded standard ceases to give presumption of conformity with the essential or other requirements of the relevant Union legislation for those products or services that fall within the scope of the new standard. Presumption of conformity with the essential or other requirements of the relevant Union legislation for products or services that still fall within the scope of the (partially) superseded standard, but that do not fall within the scope of the new standard, is unaffected.

Note 3:

In case of amendments, the referenced standard is EN CCCCC:YYYY, its previous amendments, if any, and the new, quoted amendment. The superseded standard therefore consists of EN CCCCC:YYYY and its previous amendments, if any, but without the new quoted amendment. On the date stated, the superseded standard ceases to give presumption of conformity with the essential or other requirements of the relevant Union legislation.

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Any information concerning the availability of the standards can be obtained either from the European standardisation organisations or from the national standardisation bodies the list of which is published in the Official Journal of the European Union according to Article 27 of Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 (4).

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Standards are adopted by the European standardisation organisations in English (CEN and Cenelec also publish in French and German). Subsequently, the titles of the standards are translated into all other required official languages of the European Union by the national standardisation bodies. The European Commission is not responsible for the correctness of the titles which have been presented for publication in the Official Journal.

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References to Corrigenda ‘…/AC:YYYY’ are published for information only. A Corrigendum removes printing, linguistic or similar errors from the text of a standard and may relate to one or more language versions (English, French and/or German) of a standard as adopted by a European standardisation organisation.

—

Publication of the references in the Official Journal of the European Union does not imply that the standards are available in all the official languages of the European Union.

—

This list replaces all the previous lists published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The European Commission ensures the updating of this list.

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More information about harmonised standards and other European standards on the Internet at

http://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/harmonised-standards/index_en.htm

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CEN: Rue de la Science 23, 1040 Brussels, BELGIUM; tel. +32 25500811; fax +32 25500819 (http://www.cen.eu)

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Cenelec: Rue de la Science 23, 1040 Brussels, BELGIUM; tel. +32 25500811; fax: +32 25500819 (http://www.cenelec.eu)

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ETSI: 650 route des Lucioles, 06921 Sophia Antipolis, FRANCE; tel. +33 492944200; fax +33 493654716 (http://www.etsi.eu)

28.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 114/7

Note 0:

This is the date from which compliance with the harmonised standard or parts thereof confers a presumption of conformity with the relevant requirements of Union legislation

Note 1:

Generally the date of cessation of presumption of conformity will be the date of withdrawal (‘dow’), set by the European standardisation organisation, but attention of users of these standards is drawn to the fact that in certain exceptional cases this can be otherwise.

Note 2.1:

The new (or amended) standard has the same scope as the superseded standard. On the date stated, the superseded standard ceases to give presumption of conformity with the essential or other requirements of the relevant Union legislation.

Note 2.2:

The new standard has a broader scope than the superseded standard. On the date stated the superseded standard ceases to give presumption of conformity with the essential or other requirements of the relevant Union legislation.

Note 2.3:

The new standard has a narrower scope than the superseded standard. On the date stated the (partially) superseded standard ceases to give presumption of conformity with the essential or other requirements of the relevant Union legislation for those products or services that fall within the scope of the new standard. Presumption of conformity with the essential or other requirements of the relevant Union legislation for products or services that still fall within the scope of the (partially) superseded standard, but that do not fall within the scope of the new standard, is unaffected.

Note 3:

In case of amendments, the referenced standard is EN CCCCC:YYYY, its previous amendments, if any, and the new, quoted amendment.

—

Any information concerning the availability of the standards can be obtained either from the European standardisation organisations or from the national standardisation bodies the list of which is published in the Official Journal of the European Union according to Article 27 of the Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 (3).

—

Standards are adopted by the European standardisation organisations in English (CEN and Cenelec also publish in French and German). Subsequently, the titles of the standards are translated into all other required official languages of the European Union by the national standardisation bodies. The European Commission is not responsible for the correctness of the titles which have been presented for publication in the Official Journal.

—

References to Corrigenda ‘…/AC:YYYY’ are published for information only. A Corrigendum removes printing, linguistic or similar errors from the text of a standard and may relate to one or more language versions (English, French and/or German) of a standard as adopted by a European standardisation organisation.

—

Publication of the references in the Official Journal of the European Union does not imply that the standards are available in all the official languages of the European Union.

—

The European Commission ensures the updating of this list.

—

More information about harmonised standards and other European standards on the Internet at:

http://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/harmonised-standards/index_en.htm

—

CEN: Rue de la Science 23, 1040 Brussels, BELGIUM; tel. +32 25500811; fax +32 25500819 (http://www.cen.eu)

—

Cenelec: Rue de la Science 23, 1040 Brussels, BELGIUM; tel. +32 25500811; fax: +32 25500819 (http://www.cenelec.eu)

—

ETSI: 650 route des Lucioles, 06921 Sophia Antipolis, FRANCE; tel. +33 492944200; fax +33 493654716 (http://www.etsi.eu)

28.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 114/10

i.

updated regularly, on the basis of proposals from EFSA’s Executive Director, taking account of reviews or new designation proposals from the Member States (in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 2230/2004 (2), Article 2(4));

ii.

made public on EFSA’s website, where the latest updated list of competent organisations is published; and

iii.

made available through the Article 36 Search Tool to the organisations, providing contact details and the organisations’ specific fields of competence.

i.

the latest amendment to the list of competent organisations by EFSA’s Management Board on 21 March 2018 — http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/events/event/180321

ii.

the updated list of competent organisations – http://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/assets/art36listg.pdf and

iii.

Article 36 Search Tool – http://www.efsa.europa.eu/art36/search

28.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 114/11

1.

By letter of 10 November 2017, which reached the Commission on 14 November 2017, Denmark notified the Commission of its wish to maintain (1) national provisions on the use of nitrite additives in meat products that differ from Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) into Danish law. Order No 1044 of 4 September 2015 on food additives etc. in foodstuffs (BEK nr 1044 af 04.09.2015, Udskriftsdato: 25.09.2017, Fødevarerministeriet). The notification concerns the substances potassium nitrite (E 249) and sodium nitrite (E 250) (nitrites) in Annex II Part E to the Regulation, food category 8 (EU list).

2.

The maximum levels were originally laid down in Directive 2006/52/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (3). This Directive was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council on 5 July 2006 and is based on Article 95 of the EC Treaty (now Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — TFEU). With regard to the use of nitrates and nitrites in meat products it aims to strike a balance between the protective effects of nitrites against the multiplication of the bacteria responsible for life-threatening botulism and the risk of the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines through the presence of nitrites in meat products, in line with scientific advice received from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Scientific Committee for Food (SCF).

European Parliament and Council Directive 95/2/EC (4) as it was adopted originally laid down maximum residual levels for nitrites and nitrates in various meat products. By contrast, Directive 2006/52/EC introduces the principle, recommended in an EFSA opinion from 2003, that the control of nitrites should be regulated in the form of maximum amounts that may be added during the manufacture of meat products for potassium nitrite (E 249) and sodium nitrite (E 250). The amount is 150 mg/kg for meat products in general and 100 mg/kg for sterilised meat products.

By way of exception, Directive 2006/52/EC contains maximum residual levels for certain specified traditionally produced meat products, where it was not possible to control the ingoing amounts because of their traditional manufacturing process.

This authorised use of nitrites was transferred in the new Union list of food additives approved for use in foods and conditions of use, in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, which was established by Commission Regulation (EU) No 1129/2011 (5).

3.

The Danish Order No 1044 allows the addition of potassium nitrite (E 249) and sodium nitrite (E 250) to meat products only in so far as specific added amounts are not exceeded. Depending on the products in question these maximum amounts are 0, 60, 100 or 150 mg/kg. Unlike Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, the Danish provisions do not contain any exceptions to the principle of fixing maximum added amounts for nitrites, thereby not permitting the placing on the market of certain traditionally manufactured meat products from other Member States. In so far as the 0 and the 60 mg/kg limits apply, the Danish legislation, in addition, contains lower limits for added amounts of nitrites than the Regulation for a number of meat products.

4.

The Danish provisions are therefore more stringent than Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 in relation to the addition of nitrites to meat products.

5.

The Kingdom of Denmark considers that, unlike Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, the current Danish provisions are fully consistent with the opinion of EFSA (6) that safe meat products generally can be produced by the addition of as little as 50 mg per kg nitrite.

Denmark also points out that, through the lower maximum added amounts, the Danish provisions further minimise the risk posed by nitrosamines which is its primary concern.

Denmark emphasises that, despite the fact that its rules providing for lower levels of nitrites which may be added to meat products have been in place for many years, they have never given rise to problems with preservation of the products concerned and that Denmark has a very low rate of botulism compared with other Member States, and not a single case caused by meat products has been recorded since before 1980.

The latest figures provided by Denmark show that the trend in consumption patterns has not changed significantly since the Commission Decisions 2010/561/EU (7) and (EU) 2015/826 (8). Danes' consumption of meat is rising steadily including cold cuts which contained added nitrites, and imports of meat products from other Member States are increasing.

6.

In 2014 the Commission finalised a desk study to monitor the implementation by the Member States of the EU rules on nitrites. The study was based on the responses to a questionnaire that was submitted to all Member States. It revealed that with some exceptions, the typical amount of nitrites added to non-sterilised meat products is lower than the EU maximum amount, but higher than the Danish levels. It was concluded that the possibility to review the current maximum levels of nitrites should be further explored.

The Commission therefore launched an ad hoc study, completed in January 2016, as regards the use and the need of nitrites by industry in different categories of meat products, including protection against Clostridium botulinum. Based on data collected through a literature review, a survey and an expert workshop conducted for this study, results indicate that there is a possibility to review the current maximum levels of nitrites authorised.

Furthermore, Commission Regulation (EU) No 257/2010 (9) requires that EFSA re-evaluates the safety of the use of nitrites. EFSA delivered a Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of potassium nitrite (E 249) and sodium nitrite (E 250) as food additives on 15 June 2017 (10). EFSA derived an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 0,07 mg nitrite ion/kg bw per day and clarified that the exposure to nitrite resulting from its use as food additive did not exceed this ADI for the general population, except for a slight exceedance in children at the highest percentile. However, if all sources of dietary nitrite exposure were considered together (food additives, natural presence and contamination), the ADI would be exceeded in infants, toddlers and children at the mean and for all age groups at highest exposure. The exposure to the endogenous nitrosamines was considered to be of low concern whilst there was some concern as regards the exposure to exogenous nitrosamines. The EFSA opinion also states that more research was needed to address uncertainties and knowledge gaps and that it was not possible to clearly discern nitrosamines produced from the nitrite added at the authorised levels from those found in the food matrix without addition of external nitrite. In epidemiological studies there was some evidence to link (i) dietary nitrite and gastric cancers; and (ii) the combination of nitrite plus nitrate from processed meat and colorectal cancers, and there was evidence to link preformed N-nitrosodimethylamine and colorectal cancers.

The conclusions of the desk study with the Member States, the ad hoc study as regards the use of nitrites by industry, the re-evaluation by EFSA and the data reported by Denmark, allows the Commission to further consider a potential review of the maximum levels of nitrites.

7.

The Commission will process this notification in accordance with Article 114(4) and (6) TFEU. Article 114(4) provides that if, after the adoption of an EU harmonisation measure, a Member State wishes to maintain its more stringent national provisions on grounds of major needs referred to in Article 36 TFEU or relating to the protection of the environment or the working environment, it shall notify them to the Commission indicating the reasons for maintaining them. Following the notification of the Danish provisions the Commission has 6 months to approve or reject them. In this period the Commission shall verify whether the maintenance of the Danish provisions is justified on grounds of major needs referred to in Article 36 or relating to the protection of the environment, and that they do not constitute a means of arbitrary discrimination or a disguised restriction on trade and that they do not create an unnecessary and disproportionate obstacle to the functioning of the internal market.

8.

Any party who wishes to provide comments on this notification must send them to the Commission within 30 days from the publication of this notice. Any comment submitted after this period will not be taken into account.

9.

Further details about the Danish notification can be obtained from:

28.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 114/14

28.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 114/15

28.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 114/16

28.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 114/17

1.

On 21 March 2018, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).

This notification concerns the following undertakings:

Spectris and Macquarie acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of Soundwave Holdings.

The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—   for Spectris: manufacture and supply of productivity-enhancing instrumentation and controls for technically-demanding industrial applications,

—   for Macquarie: asset management and finance, banking, advisory and risk and capital solutions across debt, equity and commodities,

—   for Soundwave Holdings: environmental monitoring services to businesses.

3.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.

Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under the Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.

4.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:

M.8807 — Spectris/Macquarie Group/Soundwave Holdings

Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below:

28.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 114/19

28.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 114/20

28.3.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 114/21