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( 1 ) OJ N 12 , 27 . 1 . 1964 , P . 161/64 .

( 2 ) OJ N 148 , 11 . 7 . 1967 , P . 1 .

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE

OF 20 DECEMBER 1968

MAKING A FOURTH AMENDMENT TO THE COUNCIL DIRECTIVE ON THE APPROXIMATION OF THE LAWS OF THE MEMBER STATES CONCERNING THE PRESERVATIVES AUTHORISED FOR USE IN FOODSTUFFS INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION

( 68/420/EEC )

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,

HAVING REGARD TO THE TREATY ESTABLISHING THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY , AND IN PARTICULAR ARTICLE 100 THEREOF ;

HAVING REGARD TO THE PROPOSAL FROM THE COMMISSION ;

WHEREAS , PURSUANT TO ARTICLES 5 ( A ) AND 11 ( 2 ) OF THE COUNCIL DIRECTIVE OF 5 NOVEMBER 1963 ( 1 ) ON THE APPROXIMATION OF THE LAWS OF THE MEMBER STATES CONCERNING THE PRESERVATIVES AUTHORISED FOR USE IN FOODSTUFFS INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION , AS LAST AMENDED BY THE COUNCIL DIRECTIVE OF 27 JUNE 1967 ( 2 ) , MEMBER STATES MUST , NOT LATER THAN FOUR YEARS AFTER NOTIFICATION OF THAT DIRECTIVE , PROHIBIT THE USE OF CERTAIN PRESERVATIVES ; WHEREAS THIS PROHIBITION MUST TAKE EFFECT BEFORE THE END OF ONE FURTHER YEAR ;

WHEREAS IT HAS NOT AS YET BEEN POSSIBLE TO TERMINATE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL RESEARCH ON THE ABOVEMENTIONED PRESERVATIVES AND AN ADDITIONAL PERIOD IS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THIS RESEARCH ;

WHEREAS IT IS THEREFORE NECESSARY TO AUTHORISE THE MEMBER STATES CONCERNED TO SUSPEND APPLICATION OF THE PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF THOSE PRESERVATIVES SO THAT , IN THE INTERIM , ALL THE INFORMATION NEEDED FOR THEIR ASSESSMENT MAY BE OBTAINED ;

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE :

ARTICLE 1

THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE SHALL BE ADDED TO ARTICLE 11 ( 2 ) OF THE COUNCIL DIRECTIVE OF 5 NOVEMBER 1963 :

" HOWEVER , IN SUCH CASE , APPLICATION OF THE AMENDED LAWS MAY BE DEFERRED UNTIL 1 JANUARY 1972 . "

ARTICLE 2

THIS DIRECTIVE IS ADDRESSED TO THE MEMBER STATES .

DONE AT BRUSSELS , 20 DECEMBER 1968 .

FOR THE COUNCIL

THE PRESIDENT

V . LATTANZIO