THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Directive 2009/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009, on the exploitation and marketing of natural mineral waters, and in particular Article 4(1)(c) and Article 12 (d) thereof,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Food Safety Authority,
Whereas:
(1)
Commission Directive 2003/40/EC of 16 May 2003 establishing the list, concentration limits and labelling requirements for the constituents of natural mineral waters and the conditions for using ozone-enriched air for the treatment of natural mineral waters and spring waters sets a maximum limit for fluoride in natural mineral waters. As regards spring water, such a limit is fixed by Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption.
(2)
To allow operators to comply with those Directives, a treatment to remove fluoride from natural mineral waters and spring waters by using activated alumina (hereinafter ‘the fluoride removal treatment’) should be authorised.
(3)
The fluoride removal treatment should not add residues to the treated water at concentrations which may pose a risk to public health.
(4)
The fluoride removal treatment should be notified to the competent authorities to allow those authorities to exercise the controls necessary to ensure correct application of the treatment.
(5)
The use of a fluoride removal treatment should be indicated on the label of treated water.
(6)
The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health and neither the European Parliament nor the Council has opposed them,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: