Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 relating to fertilisers^f1, and in particular Article 31(1) and (3) thereof,

Whereas:

The word ‘kainit’ has been used in Table A.3 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 as the fertiliser type designation for crude potassium salt. The word kainit has now come to be associated with only one specific crude potassium salt leading to a potential restriction of trade for manufacturers wishing to market other sources of potassium salts. In order to counter that restriction and thus facilitate access to a broader range of potassium salts for farmers across the Member States, a more generic type designation for those entries should be used for that fertiliser type, and the references to kainit should be adapted accordingly. A transitional period should be granted to producers of crude potassium salts to adapt the labelling to the new rules.

Lignosulphonic acid is a complex material obtained from different sources of wood. As many different grades of quality are commercially available, it is important to adapt to technical progress the quality requirements which the products must comply with in order to be placed on the market as an EC fertiliser.

Liming materials, also known as lime fertilisers, reduce soil acidity and, in doing so, can also provide the nutrients magnesium or calcium or both. Manufacturers of liming materials face a diversity of national rules leading to a distortion of the internal market. Liming materials should therefore be added to the fertiliser types described in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 in order that they may circulate freely within the internal market. Furthermore, the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) has developed EN standards for the methods of analysis of liming materials. In order to make compliance with those standards mandatory, they should be included in Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 laying down the methods of sampling and analysis.

A transitional period should be granted to ensure that producers of liming materials are given time to adapt to the new EN Standards.

Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 lays down the tolerances with regard to the declared nutrient content. Annex II should be amended to include tolerances for liming materials.

Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 requires the control of EC fertilisers in accordance with the methods of sampling and analysis that are laid down in Annex IV thereto. However, some of those methods are not internationally recognised and should be replaced by EN standards recently developed by the European Committee for Standardisation.

Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 should therefore be amended accordingly.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established by Article 32 of Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: