To protect domestic industries and ensure food safety, countries adjust taxes and regulations on imports. Recently, the EU adjusted import taxes on certain fruits and vegetables and revised regulations on food additives. This article provides a detailed analysis of these changes.

(1) Background
The Official Journal of the European Union published news on October 11, 2023 that the European Commission has published Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2110, which clarifies the trigger volumes for 2024 and 2025, and may impose additional import taxes on certain fruits and vegetables.

(2) Main content
(a) In 2024 and 2025, the trigger volumes for the products listed in Annex VII to Regulation (EU) 2017/892 are those referred to in Article 182(1)(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013. The products concerned are fruit and vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, courgettes and artichokes and their simple processed products. These products may be subject to additional import duties.
(b) The scope of the additional import duties shall be determined by the scope of the CN code in force at the time when the Regulation is adopted.
(c) This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union; it shall apply from 1 January 2024 and shall expire on 30 June 2025. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

(1) Background
On October 3, 2023, the Official Journal of the European Union published Regulation (EU) 2023/2379, which amended the regulations on the use of food additives (i.e. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008).

(2) Main content
(a) Stearyltartrate (E483) has been deleted from the list of approved food additives. The original approved scope of use includes heat-treated fermented dairy products, bread, bakery products, etc. The reason for this deletion is that the EU has evaluated that there is a lack of sufficient toxicological data to prove its safety as a food additive.
(b) This Regulation shall enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.