(This note is not part of the Regulations)
1. These Regulations, which apply to England, implement Directive 1999/4/EC of the European Parliament and the Council relating to coffee extracts and chicory extracts (OJ No. L66, 13.3.1999, p. 26). They revoke and replace the Coffee and Coffee Products Regulations 1978, as amended, in relation to England.
2. The Regulations—
(a) prescribe definitions and reserved descriptions for coffee extracts and chicory extracts (regulation 2 and the Schedule);
(b) provide for the Regulations to apply to coffee extracts and chicory extracts ready for delivery to the ultimate consumer or to a catering establishment, except for the product known ascafé torrefacto soluble (regulation 3);
(c) restrict the sale of foods labelled with a reserved description (regulation 4);
(d) require reserved descriptions and specified declarations to be applied to designated products, and prescribe the manner of marking or labelling to be employed; certain provisions of the Food Labelling Regulations 1996, which govern the labelling of coffee extracts and chicory extracts except so far as specifically provided for in these Regulations, are applied to these specific requirements (regulations 5 and 6);
(e) provide for penalties and enforcement, include a transitional provision, and a defence in relation to exports (in accordance with Articles 2 and 3 of Council Directive 89/397/EEC (OJ No. L186, 30.6.89, p. 23) on the official control of foodstuffs), apply various provisions of the Food Safety Act 1990 and make amendments and revocations (regulations 7 to 11).
3. A Regulatory Impact Assessment, which includes a compliance cost assessment of the effect that these Regulations would have on business costs, has been prepared and placed in the Library of each House of Parliament. Copies may be obtained from the Food Labelling and Consumer Protection Division of the Food Standards Agency, Ergon House, Horseferry Road, London SW1P 3WG.