G/TBT/N/NOR/24  
 
12 September 2017  
(17-4816) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member: NORWAY   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible: The Norwegian Food Safety Authority  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 5.7.1 [  ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where appli cable): 
31.01.0000. Organic fertilisers produced from i.e. sewage sludge.  (HS: 3101).  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Draft regulations 
amending the Regulations on fertilisers etc. of organic origin and the Regulations relating 
to the payment of fees for specific services provided by the Norwegian Food Safety 
Authority ('sewage sludge -based fertiliser' etc.) (5 page(s), i n English)  
6. Description of content: The proposed regulations amending the Regulations on fertilisers 
etc. of organic origin and the Regulations relating to the payment of fees for specific 
services provided by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority ( 'sewage sludge -based fertiliser ' 
etc.) introduces amendments to the national regulations concerning organic fertilisers 
containing, amongst other components, also sewage sludge.  
The proposal introduces the following amendments:  
 Products with the product designation 'sewage sludge -based fertiliser ' is to be 
subject to less stringent use -restriction compared to other sewage sludge.  
 The use of the product designation is to be subject to an authorisation from the 
Norwegian Food Safet y Authority. Authorisation may only be given if the product has 
been treated using methods where the temperature during the hygienisation period 
is at 55 degrees Celcius. Furthermore, the product must have a balanced nutrient 
content adapted to the annual needs of the plants and be suitable for use with at 
maximum addition of 100 kg dry matter per decar per year of the sewage sludge 
component.  
 All operators in the delivery -chain are required to keep a record with information 
necessary for tracing the produc ts. 
 The users of 'sewage sludge -based fertiliser ' are also required to keep a record 
stating which enterprise the sludge product was received from, the product 's trade 
name, the quantity received and the date on which it was received. The record shall 
also contain outline maps showing the areas where the sludge has been used. It 
must be stated what quantity of sludge has been used per decare and the date on 
which it was spread.  
 The records must be stored for at least 10 years. The operator is to pay a fee of 
3,675 NOK for the authorisation.  G/TBT/N/NOR/24  
 
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  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: The objective of the proposal is to facilitate innovation and also to meet the 
requirements of Council  Directive of 12 June 1986 on t he protection of the environment, 
and in particular of the soil, when  sewage sludge is used in agriculture (the Sewage Sludge 
Directive).  
The technical rules introduced by the proposal are justified by reasons of the protection of 
human health,  plant healt h and of the environment. Due to reasons concerning the 
Norwegian climatic and  geographical conditions, Norway has implemented more stringent 
measures than those required by the  Sewage Sludge Directive; cf. Article 12 of the 
Directive. The proposed revisio ns entail that less stringent  use-restrictions are put in place 
for certain products that are considered to present a significantly lower  risk to the human 
health, plant health or the environment than other sewage sludge products.  
The requirement for heat treatment of the products w ith temperatures of at least 
55 degrees  Celcius will significantly reduce the risk of harming the plant health. 
Furthermore, the requirement that  the product must be suitable for use with a maximum 
of 100 kg dry matter per decar per year of the  sludge component will significantly reduce 
the risk of harming the health of humans and of the  environment. This is the reason why 
we find it prudent to derogate from the obligation to notify the  municipal before sewage 
sludge is delivered for agricultural use when it comes to the delivery of  'sewage sludge -
based fertiliser '. We find that the proposed measures are necessary for the protection  of 
the health and the environment and that they are no more restrictive than necessary to 
meet the  objectives. The proposed regulations will facilitate the marketing of a type of 
products that cannot be  placed on the marked today due to the stringent Norwegian 
requirements. There is no import of such  products to Norway and we have no knowledge 
of produce rs of sewage sludge -based fertilisers in other  countries. There is some export.  
8. Relevant documents:   
Regulations 4 July 2003 No. 951 on fertilisers etc. of organic origin  
Regulations 13. February 2004 No. 406 relating to the payment of fees for specific services 
provided by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority   
9. Proposed date of adoption: 1 April 2018  
Proposed date of entry into force: 1 April 2018  
10. Final date for comments: 8 December 2017  
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:   
National Enquiry Point:  
Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs  
P.O. Box 8114 Dep  
0032 Oslo  
Norway  
Tel: +(47) 22 24 9090  
Fax: +(47) 22 24 9559  
E-mail: postmottak@lmd.dep.no  
 
Agency responsible:  
Norwegian Food Safety Authority  
P.O. Box 383  
N-2381 Brumunddal  
Fax: +(47) 23 21 68 01  
E-mail: postmottak@mattilsynet.no  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2017/TBT/NOR/17_3977_00_e.pdf