Council Directive of 15 December 1969 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to crystal glass (69/493/EEC)

• Published date: 29 December 1969
• Official Gazette Publication: Journal officiel des Communautés européennes, L 326, 29 décembre 1969

1969L0493 — EN — 01.01.2007 — 003.001

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This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents

►B COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 15 December 1969 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to crystal glass (69/493/EEC) (OJ L 326, 29.12.1969, p.36)

Amended by:

		Official Journal
		No	page	date
►M1	COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2006/96/EC of 20 November 2006	L 363	81	20.12.2006

Amended by:

A1	Act of Accession of Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	L 73	14	27.3.1972
	(adapted by Council Decision of 1 January 1973)	L 002	1	..
►A2	Act of Accession of Greece	L 291	17	19.11.1979
►A3	Act of Accession of Spain and Portugal	L 302	23	15.11.1985
►A4	Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic and the adjustments to the Treaties on which the European Union is founded	L 236	33	23.9.2003

Corrected by:

►C1 Consolidated text of corrigenda to instruments published in Special Editions 1952-72, p. 71 (69/493)

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▼B

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE

of 15 December 1969

on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to crystal glass

(69/493/EEC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 100 thereof;

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission;

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament (1);

Having regard to the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee;

Whereas, with regard to the use of a special description for crystal glass products and the consequent obligation concerning the composition of such products, there are differences between the rules of certain Member States; whereas those differences hinder trade in such products and can lead to distortions in competition within the Community;

Whereas those obstacles to the establishment and proper functioning of the common market can be eliminated by adoption of the same requirements by all the Member States;

Whereas, with regard to the descriptions laid down for the various categories of crystal glass and to the characteristics of those categories, the purpose of the Community provisions to be adopted is to protect both the buyer against fraud and the manufacturer who complies with those provisions;

Whereas implementation of a system of Community rules requires the establishment of standard methods for determining the chemical and physical properties of crystal glass products bearing descriptions laid down in this Directive;

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Article 1

This Directive shall apply to the products falling within heading No 70.13 of the Common Customs Tariff.

Article 2

Member States shall take all necessary steps to ensure that the composition, characteristics of manufacture and labelling of the products referred to in Article 1, and all forms of publicity for such products, conform to the definitions and rules laid down in this Directive and in the Annexes thereto.

Article 3

Member States shall take all necessary steps to prevent the descriptions in column (b) of Annex I from being used commercially for products which do not have the corresponding characteristics specified in columns (d) to (g) of Annex I.

Article 4

1. If a product covered by this Directive bears one of the descriptions listed in column (b) of Annex I, it may also bear the corresponding identifying symbol shown and described in columns (h) and (i) of that Annex.

2. Where a trade mark, the name of an undertaking or any other inscription contains, as a main part, as an adjective or as a root, a description appearing in columns (b) and (c) of Annex I or a description liable to be confused therewith, Member States shall take all necessary steps to ensure that that trade mark, name or inscription is immediately preceded by the following, in very prominent lettering:

(a)the description of the product, where that product has characteristics specified in columns (d) to (g) of Annex I;

(b)a statement of the exact nature of the product, where that product does not have characteristics specified in columns (d) to (g) of Annex I.

Article 5

The description and identifying symbols given in Annex I may appear on one and the same label.

Article 6

The methods laid down in Annex II, and only those methods, shall be used to verify that products bearing descriptions and identifying symbols have the characteristics corresponding thereto as specified in columns (d) to (g) of Annex I.

Article 7

Products intended for export from the Community shall not be subject to the provisions of this Directive.

Article 8

Member States shall put into force the measures needed in order to comply with this Directive within eighteen months of its notification and shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof. As soon as this Directive has been notified, Member States shall also ensure that they inform the Commission in time for it to submit its observations, of any subsequent drafts of main laws, regulations or administrative provisions which they propose to adopt in the field covered by this Directive.

Article 9

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

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ANNEX I

List of crystal categories

No	Description of category			Characteristics				Labelling
			Explanatory notes	Metal oxides (%)	Density	Refractive index	Surface hardness	Shape of symbol	Remarks
—a—	—b—		—c—	—d—	—e—	—f—	—g—	—h—	—i—
1	CRISTAL SUPERIEUR	30%	Description may be freely used, whatever the country of origin or the country of destination The percentage figure refers to the lead oxide content	PbO ≥ 30%	≥ 3·00	()		[Image only available in PDF version]	Round label. Colour: gold ≥ 1 cm
	CRISTALLO SUPERIORE	30%
	HOCHBLEIKRISTALL	30%
	VOLLOODKRISTAL	30%
	► FULL LEAD CRYSTAL	30 %
	KRYSTAL	30 %
	► ◄ ◄
	►A2 κρύσταλλα υψηλής περιεκτικότητος σε μόλυβδο ◄	►A2 30 % ◄
	►A3 CRISTAL SUPERIOR	30 %
	CRISTAL DE CHUMBO SUPERIOR	30 % ◄
	►A4 VYSOCE OLOVNATÉ KŘIŠŤÁLOVÉ SKLO ◄	►A4 30 % ◄
	►A4 KÕRGKVALITEETNE KRISTALL ◄	►A4 30 % ◄
	►A4 AUGSTĀKĀ LABUMA KRISTĀLS ◄	►A4 30 % ◄
	►A4 DAUGIAŠVINIS KRIŠTOLAS ◄	►A4 30 % ◄
	►A4 NEHÉZ ÓLOMKRISTÁLY ◄	►A4 30 % ◄
	►A4 KRISTALL SUPERJURI ◄	►A4 30 % ◄
	►A4 SZKŁO KRYSZTAŁOWE WYSOKOOŁOWIOWE ◄	►A4 30 % ◄
	►A4 KRISTAL Z VISOKO VSEBNOSTJO SVINCA ◄	►A4 30 % ◄
	►A4 VYSOKOOLOVNATÉ KRIŠTÁĽOVÉ SKLO ◄	►A4 30 % PbO ◄
	►M1 ТЕЖЪК ОЛОВЕН КРИСТАЛ	30 %
	CRISTAL SUPERIOR	30 % ◄
2	CRISTAL AU PLOMB	24%		PbO ≥ 24%	≥ 2·90	()
	CRISTALLO AL PIOMBO	24%
	BLEIKRISTALL	24%
	LOODKRISTAL	24%
	► LEAD CRYSTAL	24 %
	KRYSTAL	24 %
	► ◄ ◄
	►A2 μολυβδούχα κρύσταλλα ◄	►A2 25 % ◄
	►A3 ΜΟΛΥΒΔΟΥΧΑ ΚΡΥΣΤΑΛΛΑ ◄	►A3 24 % ◄
	►A3 CRISTAL AL PLOMO ◄	►A3 24 % ◄
	►A3 CRISTAL DE CHUMBO ◄	►A3 24 % ◄
	►A4 OLOVNATÉ KŘIŠŤÁLOVÉ SKLO ◄	►A4 24 % ◄
	►A4 KVALITEETKRISTALL ◄	►A4 24 % ◄
	►A4 KVALITEETKRISTALL ◄	►A4 24 % ◄
	►A4 ŠVINO KRIŠTOLAS ◄	►A4 24 % ◄
	►A4 ÓLOMKRISTÁLY ◄	►A4 24 % ◄
	►A4 KRISTALL BIC-ĊOMB ◄	►A4 24 % ◄
	►A4 SZKŁO KRYSZTAŁOWE OŁOWIOWE ◄	►A4 24 % ◄
	►A4 SVINČEV KRISTAL ◄	►A4 24 % ◄
	►A4 OLOVNATÉ KRIŠTÁĽOVÉ SKLO ◄	►A4 24 % PbO ◄
	►M1 ОЛОВЕН КРИСТАЛ	24 %
	CRISTAL CU PLUMB	24 % ◄
3	CRISTALLIN		Only the description in the language or languages of the country in which the goods are marketed may be used Exception: On the German market pressed glass containing 18% PbO and having a density of at least 2·70 may be sold under the description ‘PRESSBLEIKRISTALL’ or ‘BLEIKRISTALL GEPRESST’ (in capital letters)	ZnO BaO PbO K2O singly or together ≥ 10%	≥ 2·45	nD ≥ 1·520		[Image only available in PDF version]	Square label. Colour: silver Side: ≥ 1 cm
	VETRO SONORO SUPERIORE
	KRISTALLGLAS
	KRISTALLIJNGLAS (2)
	SONOORGLAS (3)
	► CRYSTAL GLASS, CRYSTALLIN
	KRYSTALLIN
	► ◄ ◄
	►A2 υαλοκρύσταλλα ◄
	►A3 VIDRIO SONORO SUPERIOR
	VIDRO SONORO SUPERIOR ◄
	►A4 KŘIŠŤÁLOVÉ SKLO KRYSTALIN ◄
	►A4 KRISTALLIINKLAAS ◄
	►A4 KRISTĀLSTIKLS ◄
	►A4 KRIŠTOLAS ◄
	►A4 KRISZTALLIN ÜVEG ◄
	►A4 KRISTALLIN ◄
	►A4 SZKŁO KRYSZTAŁOWE ‘S’ ◄
	►A4 KRISTALNO STEKLO (KRISTALIN) ◄
	►A4 KRIŠTALÍN ◄
	►M1 КРИСТАЛИН
	STICLĂ CRISTALINĂ ◄
4	VERRE SONORE			BaO PbO K2O single or together ≥ 10%	≥ 2·40		Vickers — 550 ± 20	[Image only available in PDF version]	Label in the shape of an equilateral triangle. Colour: silver Side: ≥ 1 cm
	VETRO SONORO
	KRISTALLGLAS
	SONOORGLAS
	► CRYSTAL GLASS,

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