Message 001
Communication from the Commission - TRIS/(2024) 1889
Directive (EU) 2015/1535
Notification: 2024/0397/HU
Notification of a draft text from a Member State
Notification – Notification – Notifzierung – Нотификация – Oznámení – Notifikation – Γνωστοποίηση – Notificación – Teavitamine – Ilmoitus – Obavijest – Bejelentés – Notifica – Pranešimas – Paziņojums – Notifika – Kennisgeving – Zawiadomienie – Notificação – Notificare – Oznámenie – Obvestilo – Anmälan – Fógra a thabhairt
Does not open the delays - N'ouvre pas de délai - Kein Fristbeginn - Не се предвижда период на прекъсване - Nezahajuje prodlení - Fristerne indledes ikke - Καμμία έναρξη προθεσμίας - No abre el plazo - Viivituste perioodi ei avata - Määräaika ei ala tästä - Ne otvara razdoblje kašnjenja - Nem nyitja meg a késéseket - Non fa decorrere la mora - Atidėjimai nepradedami - Atlikšanas laikposms nesākas - Ma jiftaħx il-perijodi ta’ dewmien - Geen termijnbegin - Nie otwiera opóźnień - Não inicia o prazo - Nu deschide perioadele de stagnare - Nezačína oneskorenia - Ne uvaja zamud - Inleder ingen frist - Ní osclaíonn sé na moilleanna
MSG: 20241889.EN
1. MSG 001 IND 2024 0397 HU EN 12-07-2024 HU NOTIF
2. Hungary
3A. Európai Uniós Ügyek Minisztériuma
EU Jogi Megfelelésvizsgálati Főosztály - Műszaki Notifikációs Központ
H-1054 Budapest, Báthory u. 10.
E-mail: technicalnotification@eum.gov.hu
3B. Igazságügyi Minisztérium
Fogyasztóvédelmi Stratégiai Főosztály
H-1054 Budapest, Báthory u. 10.
E-mail: fogyasztovedelem@im.gov.hu
4. 2024/0397/HU - C50A - Foodstuffs
5. Amendment to Government Decree No 210/2009 of 29 September 2009 on the conditions for carrying out commercial activities in the context of the protection of the health of children and minors
6. Requirements for non-alcoholic beverages
7.
Directive (EC) 2006/123 on services in the internal market
Other
See the attached file.
See the attached file.
See the attached file.
8. Based on the amendment of Act CLV of 1997 on consumer protection (hereinafter: Consumer Protection Act) in order to protect children’s health, it is prohibited to sell or serve energy drinks with the composition specified in the Government Decree (hereinafter: energy drinks) to persons under the age of eighteen. The Consumer Protection Act authorises the Government to determine by decree the composition of energy drinks that cannot be sold or served to persons under the age of eighteen years. The amendment sets out the ingredients whose presence to a certain extent poses the greatest risk to the health of young people, by regulating the widest possible range of energy drinks (and other food products with such effects) currently present on the food market.
9. Keeping young people healthy and encouraging them to lead healthy lifestyles is an extremely important public policy goal, as good health makes it easier to get on, to have a better quality of life and to live longer in good health. Good health among young people is not only key to well-being, prosperity and development at the level of individuals and families, but also to the future at national level.
The available expert opinions (Hungarian Society of Cardiology, National Centre for Public Health and Pharmacy) are consistent on the fact that excessive consumption of energy drinks by young people poses a significant health risk due to its impact on the cardiovascular system.
While there is a risk of excessive consumption of caffeine and sugar for all ages, the age group particularly exposed to the adverse effects of energy drinks is young people under the age of eighteen.
The Hungarian Energy Drinks Association considers it important to share credible, factual information on energy drinks among customers, and therefore stresses that such products are only recommended for healthy adults, as no product with a high caffeine and sugar content is good for the developing body.
Considering that the Hungarian tax rules do not define energy drinks primarily according to the nature of the product, and that the definition of energy drinks under the tax rules does not include several products that can be considered energy drinks in common language or as defined by the distributor, a new definition is necessary.
As indicated above, there are currently products on the market that can be considered energy drinks (and are even called energy drinks by their distributors), which may have the same harmful effects as energy drinks, but are not subject to the tax provisions.
The health effects of soft drinks containing only small amounts of caffeine are not the same as the adverse health effects of energy drinks, given that caffeine and other stimulant ingredients (e.g. taurine, glucuronolactone) in energy drinks have the potential to cause more serious risks to health. The extension of the regulation to soft drinks containing only small amounts of caffeine would be overly restrictive and is not justified on the grounds of health effects.
The purpose of the amendment is therefore to identify the ingredients whose presence to a certain extent represents the greatest risk to the health of young people, thus regulating the widest possible range of energy drinks (and other food products with such an effect) currently present on the food market. Energy drinks are beverages designed to increase physical performance and mental vigilance, and are available on the market in a variety of flavours and compositions to meet consumer and producer needs. They contain stimulant substances that help reduce fatigue and increase the level of energy in the organism. There is currently no agreed product definition of ‘energy drinks’ at EU or national level. The amendment aims to fill this gap.
10. Reference(s) to basic text(): The basic texts were forwarded with an earlier notification:
2024/0396/HU
11. No
12.
13. No
14. No
15. No
16.
TBT aspects: No
SPS aspects: No
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European Commission
Contact point Directive (EU) 2015/1535
email: grow-dir2015-1535-central@ec.europa.eu
