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المادة 1
Article (1) Definitions 1. For the purposes of implementing the provisions of this Resolution, the following terms and expressions shall have the meanings assigned to each of them, unless the context requires otherwise: State : The United Arab Emirates. Authority : The Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA). Board : The Authority's Board of Directors. Director General : The Director General of the Authority. Competent Authorities : The federal and/or local governmental authority in the State entrusted with the implementation of the provisions of this System and the regulations issued pursuant thereto.
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Cabinet Resolution of 2013 Regarding the UAE Drinking Water Control System 2 Approved UAE Standard Specification : A document approved by the Board that defines the attributes of a product, material, or service, or anything subject to measurement, its descriptions, characteristics, quality level, dimensions, measures, or safety and security requirements. It also includes terms, symbols, testing methods, sampling, packaging, labels, and marks. It shall be referred to as " United Arab Emirates Standard Specification" and denoted by (UAE.S). Mandatory UAE Standard Specification (Technical Regulation) : An Approved UAE Standard Specification in respect of which a Cabinet Resolution has been issued mandating its application. Drinking Water : Water that is fit for human consumption, whether for direct drinking, cleaning, domestic cooking, or food manufacturing, which may be bottled or unbottled. Unbottled Drinking Water : Drinking water supplied to the consumer through the public network, a limited distribution network, wells, springs, or any other source of surface water used for drinking, to which all requirements stipulated in the Mandatory Approved UAE Standard Specification (Technical Regulation) for "Unbottled Drinking Water" (UAE.S GSO 149) apply. Bottled Drinking Water : Drinking water that has been treated and prepared for human consumption and packaged in suitable, tightly sealed containers, to which all requirements stipulated in the Mandatory Approved UAE Standard Specification (Technical Regulation) for "Bottled Drinking Water" (UAE.S GSO 1025) apply, and which does not include Bottled Natural Mineral Water.
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Cabinet Resolution of 2013 Regarding the UAE Drinking Water Control System 3 Bottled Natural Mineral Water : Water that is clearly distinguished from drinking water as defined in the approved Mandatory UAE Standard Specification (Technical Regulation) "Bottled Drinking Water" (UAE.S GSO 1025) as follows: − It is obtained directly from natural sources or from drilled artesian groundwater wells, which are protected to avoid any pollution that affects its natural and chemical quality; − It contains certain mineral salts in distinctive compositional proportions, along with the presence of some trace elements or other components; − The stability of its composition, its temperature, and the continuity of its flow, taking into account natural seasonal cycles; − It is obtained under conditions that ensure its original microbiological purity and the chemical composition of its basic components. − It has not been subjected to any treatment other than those permitted under the Mandatory UAE Standard Specification (Technical Regulation) for "Bottled Natural Mineral Water" (UAE.S GSO 987). − It is bottled in tightly sealed containers near the source, with the necessary health precautions being taken; − It conforms to all properties stipulated in the Mandatory UAE Standard Specification (Technical Regulation) for "Bottled Natural Mineral Water" (UAE.S GSO 987). Carbonated (Sparkling) Natural Mineral Water : Natural mineral water that, after bottling, contains free carbon dioxide gas, whether naturally present or added from another source.
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Cabinet Resolution of 2013 Regarding the UAE Drinking Water Control System 4 Non- Carbonated (Still) Natural Mineral Water : Natural mineral water that does not contain free carbon dioxide gas (whether naturally present or added, taking into account the permitted technical tolerance), in quantities exceeding those required to dissolve bicarbonate salts in the water. Degassed Natural Mineral Water : Natural mineral water whose carbon dioxide content after packaging is less than what is present at the source, and from which carbon dioxide is not spontaneously and visibly released under normal conditions of temperature and pressure. Treated Drinking Water : Water that has undergone treatment processes that depend on the degree of pollution of the water source, for the purpose of protecting the consumer from anything that harms human health. These processes include water collection, preliminary disinfection, sedimentation, filtration, final disinfection, and salinity reduction processes (Desalination). Well Water : Water obtained from an opening that is drilled, bored, or otherwise constructed in the ground, which reaches the water in a water- bearing layer. Spring Water : Water that naturally emerges from an underground cavity to the surface of the earth. The water shall be collected at the spring itself only, or through an opening leading to the groundwater stratum feeding the spring, which requires the presence of a natural force causing the water to flow to the surface through a natural opening, and the location of the spring shall also be identified. Artesian Well Water : Water obtained from a well-constructed in an underground water reservoir where the water level is slightly higher than the water reservoir's surface level. Artesian well water may be extracted with the assistance of an external force that supports the natural pressure below the earth's surface, as long as such procedures do not alter the physical properties or the composition and quality of the water.
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Cabinet Resolution of 2013 Regarding the UAE Drinking Water Control System 5 Ice : Ice obtained by the complete freezing of drinking water at a temperature not exceeding (-10°C) and formed in various shapes, such as blocks, cubes, or other shapes. Water Source : A source from which water is obtained, whether it is an artesian or coastal well, a dug well, a spring, a public or private water distribution system, or any other source containing water fit for human consumption. Public or Private Water Distribution System : Public or private water distribution systems supplying the consumer with water fit for direct consumption. Certificate of Conformity : The certificate issued by the Authority, which indicates the conformity of a product or a specific batch thereof, after ensuring that it fulfills the requirements of the Approved UAE Standard Specifications or the Mandatory UAE Standard Specifications (Technical Regulations). Emirates Quality Mark : A mark adopted by the Authority to indicate the conformity of a product with the Approved UAE Standard Specifications or the Mandatory UAE Standard Specifications (Technical Regulations) or any specification approved/adopted by the Authority, and the establishment's compliance with the conditions specified in the Emirates Quality Mark regulation. It is granted to the approved product upon the client's request. ECAS Conformity Assessment Module H (Full Quality Assurance) : A module that describes the procedure by which an establishment operates a recognized food safety system. This module includes product examination and assessment of the food safety system, and also includes periodic inspection and sampling from the market or the establishment, or both, to verify continued conformity.
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Cabinet Resolution of 2013 Regarding the UAE Drinking Water Control System 6 Supplier : The manufacturer, carrier, distributor, packager, assembler, processor, storer, agent, or the commercial or legal representative responsible for an imported product covered by this system, and any professional within the supply chain whose activity may have an effect on the characteristics of the product. Water-Related Electrical Appliances : Household appliances used in the processes of cooling, heating, and freezing drinking water. Electrical Equipment : Distillation equipment and electric pumps used in drinking water distribution systems. Pre-packaged Container : A product placed inside a box or wrapped in any way, the nominal or actual quantity of which has been determined and indicated on the label before being offered for sale or in the absence of the purchaser, and the actual quantity contained therein cannot be easily altered without opening it or making a tangible modification thereto. A pre-packaged container consists of the product and the wrapping material. Supply Chain : All stages that the product passes through, starting from primary production until it reaches the final consumer, including the stages of its import, export, manufacturing, preparation, processing, filling, wrapping, preparation, transportation, storage, distribution, offering, display, and sale. 2. The terminologies and definitions mentioned in the Approved UAE Standard Specifications shall form an integral part of this System, unless the context requires otherwise.