{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2005-1822/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2005-1822/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eur/2005/1822",
  "legislation_title": "Commission Regulation (EC) No 1822/2005 of 8 November 2005 amending Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 as regards nitrate in certain vegetables (Text with EEA relevance)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2005-1822",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Commission Regulation (EC) No 1822/2005\nof 8 November 2005\namending Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 as regards nitrate in certain vegetables\n(Text with EEA relevance)\nTHE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,\nHaving regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,\nHaving regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 315/93 of 8 February 1993 laying down Community procedures for contaminants in food, and in particular Article 2(3) thereof,\nAfter consulting the Scientific Committee on Food,\nWhereas:\n(1)\nCommission Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 of 8 March 2001 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs, as amended by Regulation (EC) No 563/2002, makes provision in particular for specific measures concerning nitrate levels in lettuce and spinach and lays down transitional periods during which lettuce and spinach containing nitrate in excess of the maximum level can be marketed within national territory.\n(2)\nDespite developments in the application of good agricultural practice, monitoring data from Member States indicate ongoing problems in complying with the maximum levels of nitrate for lettuce and spinach.\n(3)\nMany of the failures to comply with the maximum levels for nitrate in fresh spinach occur in the month of October. The summer period for spinach currently includes October, whereas for lettuce October is in the winter period. For consistency, October should be included in the winter period for fresh spinach.\n(4)\nIn regions where there are difficulties to keep nitrate below the maximum levels for fresh lettuce and fresh spinach, for example when associated with less daily sunlight, certain Member States have requested derogations and provided sufficient information to demonstrate that investigations are underway to help reduce levels in the future.\n(5)\nPending further developments in the application of good agricultural practice, it is appropriate to authorise those Member States for a limited period to allow fresh lettuce and fresh spinach containing nitrate above the maximum levels to continue to be marketed, but solely within their national territory and for national consumption.\n(6)\nNitrate is present in other vegetables, sometimes at high levels. To inform future discussions on a longer-term strategy for managing the risk from nitrate in vegetables, Member States should monitor nitrate levels in vegetables and aim to reduce levels where feasible, in particular by applying improved codes of good agricultural practice. An updated scientific risk assessment from the European Food Safety Authority would help to clarify the risks posed by nitrate in vegetables. The maximum levels laid down in Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 would be reviewed taking into account information from the above activities.\n(7)\nRegulation (EC) No 466/2001 should be amended accordingly.\n(8)\nThe measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,\nHAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "OJ L 37, 13.2.1993, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 284, 31.10.2003, p. 1)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "OJ L 77, 16.3.2001, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 856/2005 (OJ L 143, 7.6.2005, p. 3)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f3",
      "text": "OJ L 86, 3.4.2002, p. 5."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2005/1822/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T14:54:10.254123+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}