Draft Rulebook on Health and Water Quality in the Original Packaging Presented

Draft Rulebook on Health and Water Quality in the Original Packaging was presented by the Policy and Legal Advice Centre (PLAC III) experts and representatives of the Ministry of Health at the workshop held in Belgrade, on 7 February 2020.

Adoption of the framework legislation that complies with the EU acquis is one of three opening benchmarks set by the European Commission for the negotiation chapter 12. The Draft Law on Water for Human Consumption, that includes water in original packaging, has already been prepared through the PLAC III project assistance, under negotiating chapter 27. In the cooperation with the Ministry of Health, PLAC III project experts have drafted Rulebook on Health and Water quality in the Original Packaging.

The workshop was held in the Serbian Chamber of Commerce premises and gathered more than 80 participants – representatives of public health offices, water producers, inspectors, laboratory institutions. PLAC III expert, Mr. Robert Seelig presented relevant EU acquis that has been transposed into the rulebook. The Draft Rulebook envisages recognition of mineral waters only, while spring waters are exempted; it encompasses table waters, although there is no EU legislation on table waters, but is up to the Republic of Serbia to regulate the area. The Draft Rulebook stipulates in detail microbiological characteristics, exploitation, laboratory procedures, packaging and labeling of waters.

Mr. Zvonko Platiša from the Ministry of Health said that two EU directives and one regulation have been transposed in the Draft Law on Water Intended for Human Consumption and to a larger extension into the Draft Rulebook. These are: Directive 2003/40/EC establishing the list of concentrations and labeling requirements for constituents of natural mineral waters and the conditions for the use of Ozone-enriched air for the treatment of natural mineral waters and spring waters; Directive 2009/54/EC on the exploitation and marketing of natural mineral waters and Regulation (EU) No 115/2010 laying down the conditions for the use of activated alumina for the removal of fluoride from natural mineral waters and spring waters.

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