Breaking news: the tightening of legislation on health claims is postponed. It is expected that companies can continue using the current health claims until the end of 2011. Briefly it appeared as though it would create a competitive disadvantage. Plans existed to let the list progressively take effect by filling the list continually with permitted and rejected claims. The reason: The Authority is fully engaged in handling the more than 4600 requested claims in question. EFSA has only two "batches" of claims examined for scientific validity only. If the European Commission would definitively establish the already reviewed claims right now – resulting in the already rejected claims being banned - then companies would be treated unequally. The European Commission has now decided that the final 'Article 13 claims’ will all be assessed at once; and only after EFSA dealt with all applications. This is expected in June 2011. If the lists have been finalized a transition period of six months is maintained. Until then, the current general rules apply: it is forbidden to make medical claims for health products and the advertiser must prove his claim.
See the European Commission press release at:
europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do
Ebba Hoogenraad
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office Emerald House Jozef Israëlskade 48-G Amsterdam, the Netherlands t +31 (0)20 - 305 3066 www.hoogenhaak.nl |
post PO Box 76780 1070 KB Amsterdam e info@hoogenhaak.nl f +31 (0)20 - 305 3069 chamber of commerce 34314579 |
Breaking news: the tightening of legislation on health claims is postponed. It is expected that companies can continue using the current health claims until the end of 2011. Briefly it appeared as though it would create a competitive disadvantage. Plans existed to let the list progressively take effect by filling the list continually with permitted and rejected claims. The reason: The Authority is fully engaged in handling the more than 4600 requested claims in question. EFSA has only two "batches" of claims examined for scientific validity only. If the European Commission would definitively establish the already reviewed claims right now – resulting in the already rejected claims being banned - then companies would be treated unequally. The European Commission has now decided that the final 'Article 13 claims’ will all be assessed at once; and only after EFSA dealt with all applications. This is expected in June 2011. If the lists have been finalized a transition period of six months is maintained. Until then, the current general rules apply: it is forbidden to make medical claims for health products and the advertiser must prove his claim.
See the European Commission press release at:
europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do
Ebba Hoogenraad