Commission Regulation (EC) No 2277/2003
of 22 December 2003
amending Annexes I and II to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 of 24 June 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs(1), and in particular the second indent of Article 13 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) The lists of feed materials, feed additives, certain substances used in animal nutrition and processing aids used in feedingstuffs laid down in Annex II, parts C and D of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 have been reviewed, in accordance with point 4.15 of Annex I, part B to that Regulation.
(2) Certain conventional feed materials from plant origin are not needed any more in organic farming at Community level. However, most of the conventional feed materials and in particular protein crops are still indispensable, at least in some Member States. Moreover, conventional milk by-products are still necessary in organic farming and further minerals are required to ensure the welfare of organically-reared livestock.
(3) The use of certain preservatives is only allowed in organic farming as feed additives for silage. The use of those substances however is also required in some Member States to preserve crops. Moreover, for technological reasons, further feed additives from the group of binders, anti-caking agents and coagulants are needed.
(4) The lists of feed materials and feed additives should be amended accordingly.
(5) Harmonised rules for organic livestock production are quite recent. The gene pool of the different organically reared livestock species is still small. Moreover, in the particular case of poultry, the production systems comprise different stages, which are usually managed by different specialised sectors. Due to the complexity of those systems, the whole organic poultry production cycle has not been completed yet by any Member State. In order to ensure enough biodiversity of organically reared livestock and to facilitate the development of the organic livestock production, there is a need to extend the transitional period when conventional animals can be brought into the organic farming system.
(6) For supplementing natural growth and for the renewal of a herd or flock, particular attention has to be paid to conventional breeds in danger of being lost to farming.
(7) One of the principles of the organic farming system is to ensure a connection between livestock production and arable land. For all organically reared animal species, feed should come primarily from the organic farm unit itself or in case this is not feasible, be produced in cooperation with other organic farms.
(8) Annexes I and II to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 should therefore be amended accordingly.
(9) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee set up in accordance with Article 14 of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Annexes I and II to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 are amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.
Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 22 December 2003.