# Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/820 of 31 May 2018 granting a derogation requested by the Netherlands pursuant to Council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources (notified under document C(2018) 3222) (Only the Dutch text is authentic), Article 7: Conditions regarding application of manure and other fertilisers

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

1. The amount of manure from grazing livestock applied to the land each year on grassland farms, including by the animals themselves, shall not exceed the amount of manure containing 230 kg nitrogen per hectare per year on southern and central sandy soils and on loess soils and 250 kg nitrogen per hectare per year on other soils, subject to the conditions laid down in paragraphs 2 to 8. The total nitrogen and phosphate inputs shall comply with the nutrient demand of the crop and the supply from the soil. They shall not exceed the maximum application standards established in the 6th Dutch Action Programme.
2. Phosphate from chemical fertilisers shall not be used.
3. A fertilisation plan shall be prepared and kept at the grassland farm. The fertilisation plan shall describe the crop rotation of the farmland and the planned application of manure and other nitrogen and phosphate fertilisers. The fertilisation plan for the first calendar year shall be available at the grassland farm by 30 June at the latest. The fertilisation plan for the subsequent calendar years shall be available at the grassland farm by 28 February at the latest.
4. The fertilisation plan shall include the following elements:
(a) the number of livestock on the grassland farm, a description of the housing and manure storage system, including the volume of manure storage available;
(b) a calculation of the manure nitrogen (less losses in housing and storage) and phosphorus produced on the grassland farm;
(c) the crop rotation plan, which must specify the acreage of individual fields with grass and other crops, including a sketch map indicating the location of individual fields;
(d) the foreseeable nitrogen and phosphorus crop requirements;
(e) the amount and the type of manure delivered to contractors and therefore not used on the grassland farm;
(f) the amount of imported manure used on the grassland farm;
(g) a calculation of the contribution from organic matter mineralisation, leguminous crops and atmospheric deposition and amount of nitrogen present in the soil at the moment when the crop starts to use it to a significant degree;
(h) a calculation of nitrogen and phosphorus application from manure for each field (parcels of the grassland farm that are homogeneous regarding cropping and soil type);
(i) a calculation of nitrogen application from chemical and other fertilisers for each field;
(j) calculations for assessment of compliance with the maximum application standards for nitrogen and phosphorus established in the 6th Dutch Action Programme.
The fertilisation plan shall be revised no later than seven days following any changes in agricultural practices at the grassland farm.
5. A fertilisation account for each calendar year shall be prepared and kept for each grassland farm. It shall be submitted to the competent authority by 31 March of the following calendar year.
6. The fertilisation account shall include the following elements:
(a) the crop acreages;
(b) the number and type of livestock;
(c) the manure production per animal;
(d) the amount of fertilisers imported by the grassland farm;
(e) the amount of manure delivered to contractors and therefore not used on the grassland farm and the name of those contractors.
7. Periodic nitrogen and phosphorus analysis in soil shall be performed at least every four years for each homogeneous area of the farm, with regard to crop rotation and soil characteristics. One analysis per five hectares of land shall be required as a minimum.
In case grassland is ploughed for grassland renewal, the statutory nitrogen application standard set in the 6th Dutch Action Programme shall be reduced by 50 kg N/ha on sandy and loessial soils after 31 May of each calendar year. In case grassland is ploughed for the cultivation of maize on sandy or loessial soil, the statutory nitrogen application standard set in the 6th Dutch Action Programme for maize shall be reduced by 65 kg N/ha.
8. Manure shall not be spread in the autumn before grass cultivation.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2018/820/article/7 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2018-820/article-7
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.