26.1.88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 20/5 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Directive supplementing and amending Directive 76/116/EEC in respect 
of the calcium, magnesium, sodium and sulphur content of fertilizers 
COM(87) 646 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 21 December 1987) 
(88/C 20/06) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 100 A 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
In cooperation with the European Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas measures need to be adopted for the 
progressive completion of the internal market by 31 
December 1992; whereas the internal market is an area 
without internal frontiers in which the free movement of 
goods, persons, services and capital is guaranteed; 
Whereas Council Directive 76/116/EEC of 18 
December 1975 on the approximation of the laws of the 
Member States relating to fertilizers laid down rules for 
the marketing of solid EEC fertilizers (l) as last amended 
by the Act of Accession of Spain and Portugal; whereas 
it has proved necessary to extend the Directive to include 
the calcium, magnesium, sodium and sulphur contents of 
such fertilizers; 
Whereas Directive 76/116/EEC may also be applicable 
to fertilizers containing only calcium, magnesium and 
sulphur, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 
Article 1 
A declaration of the magnesium, sodium and sulphur 
content of the EEC fertilizers listed in Annex I to 
Directive 76/116/EEC may be made provided that these 
elements are present at least in the minimum quantities 
specified in Article 2 and that the EEC fertilizers 
(') OJNoL24, 30. 1. 1976, p. 21. continue to satisfy the requirements of Annex I to 
Directive 76/116/EEC. In such cases, the marking 
specified in Article 6 of this Directive shall be added to 
the type designation. 
Article 2 
A declaration of the magnesium, sodium and sulphur 
content of the EEC fertilizers referred to in Article 1 
may be made only if they contain not less than: 
— 2 % of magnesium oxide (MgO), i.e. 1,2 % Mg, 
— 3 % of sodium oxide (Na20), i.e. 2,2 % Na, 
— 5 % of sulphur trioxide (S03) i.e. 2 % S. 
Article 3 
Within the meaning of this Directive, a declaration of 
the calcium content considered to be a nutrient shall be 
made only for fertilizers of types 1 and 2 as listed in 
Annex I. Member States may stipulate that the calcium 
content of fertilizers marketed in their territories be 
expressed in the oxide form (CaO), in the elemental 
form (Ca), or in both of these forms. 
The following formula shall be used to convert the 
calcium content into a calcium oxide content: 
Calcium (Ca) = calcium oxide (CaO) x 0,715 
Article 4 
Fertilizers meeting the requirements of the Annexes may 
be marked 'EEC fertilizer'. 
Article 5 
Member States may stipulate that the magnesium, 
sodium and sulphur contents of fertilizers marketed in 
their territories shall be expressed: 
No C 20/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 26. 1. 88 
— either in the oxide form (MgO, Na20, S03), 
— or in the elemental form (Mg, Na, S), 
— or in both of these forms. 
The following formulae shall be used to convert the 
sodium and sulphur contents into sodium and sulphur 
oxide contents: 
Sodium (Na) = sodium oxide (Na20) x 0,742 
Sulphur (S) = sulphur trioxide (S03) x 0,400 
If the oxide content is calculated, the figure declared 
shall be rounded to the nearest decimal place. 
Article 6 
Compulsory marking for identification purposes: 
(a) 'EEC FERTILIZER' in capital letters; 
(b) the designation of the type of fertilizer: 
— either in accordance with Annex I to Directive 
76/116/EEC followed by 'containing . . .' and 
the name and chemical symbol of the element(s) 
referred to in this Directive which the fertilizer 
contains. The figures indicating the contents of 
the elements referred to in Directive 
76/116/EEC may be followed by figures in 
brackets for the elements referred to in the 
Annex I to this Directive, 
— or in accordance with the Annex I to this 
Directive; 
(c) the guaranteed content in respect of each nutrient 
and the guaranteed content expressed as forms 
and/or solubilities, where these are specified in the 
Annexes to the Directives on fertilizers. 
The nutrient content of straight and compound ferti­
lizers shall be given as a percentage by weight in whole 
numbers, or where necessary, to one decimal place. If a 
fertilizer contains several declarable nutrients, their 
contents shall be indicated in the following order: 
N, P205 and/or P, K20 and/or K; MgO and/or Mg, 
Na20 and/or Na, S03 and/or S. 
The forms and solubilities of the nutrients shall also be 
expressed as a percentage by weight of fertilizer, except 
where Annex I to Directive 76/116/EEC explicitly 
provides that this content shall be otherwise expressed. Nutrients shall be indicated both in words and by appro­
priate chemical symbols, e.g. nitrogen (N), phosphorus 
(P), phosphorus pentoxide (P2Os) potassium (K), 
potassium oxide (K20), magnesium (Mg), magnesium 
oxide (MgO), sodium (Na), sodium oxide (NaaO), 
sulphur (S), sulphur trioxide (S03). 
Article 7 
The declaration of the magnesium, sodium and sulphur 
content of the fertilizers referred to in Article 1 shall be 
followed by one of the following phrases: 
— total, (determined under the conditions specified in 
the analytical methods referred to in Article 8 of 
Directive 76/116/EEC), 
— water-soluble (minimum content to be specified as a 
relative or absolute value). 
Article 8 
The tolerances allowed in respect of the declared 
calcium, magnesium, sodium and sulphur contents shall 
be lA of the declared contents of these elements up to a 
maximun of 0,9 % in absolute terms for CaO, MgO, 
Na20 and S03, i.e. 0,64 for Ca, 0,55 for Mg, 0,67 for 
Na and 0,36 for S. 
Article 9 
The EEC fertilizer mentioned in Annex II to this 
Directive is added to Annex I to Directive 76/116/EEC 
under No 7 in Section A — Straight fertilizers, III 
Potassic fertilizers. 
Article 10 
1. Member States shall adopt the measures necessary 
to comply with this Directive within 12 months of its 
notification. They shall forthwith inform the Commission 
thereof. 
2. Member States shall communicate to the 
Commission the text of the provisions of national law 
which they adopt in the field governed by this Directive. 
Article 11 
This Directive is addressed to the Member States. 
26.1.88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 20/7 
ANNEX I 
LIST OF FERTILIZERS CONTAINING CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, AND SULPHUR AS PRIN­
CIPAL NUTRIENTS 
No 
1 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 Type designation 
2 
Calcium sulphate 
Calcium chloride 
solution 
Elemental sulphur 
Kieserite 
Magnesium sul­
phate 
Magnesium chlor­
ide solution Data on method of 
production and essential 
ingredients 
3 
Product of natural or 
industrial origin contain­
ing calcium sulphate at 
various degrees of 
hydration 
Calcium chloride so­
lution of industrial 
origin 
Comparatively refined 
natural product 
Product of mineral 
origin containing mono-
hydrated magnesium 
sulphate as main 
component 
Product containing only 
heptahydrated mag­
nesium sulphate as main 
component 
Product obtained by 
dissolving magnesium 
chloride of industrial 
origin Minimum content of nutrients 
(% by weight); 
data on the expression of 
nutrients; 
other requirements 
4 
25 % CaO 
35 % S03 
Calcium sulphur 
expressed as total CaO 
and S03 
Fineness of grind: 
— at least 80 % to pass 
through a sieve with 
a 2 mm mesh width; 
— at least 99 % to pass 
through a sieve with 
a 10 mm mesh width 
12 % CaO 
Calcium expressed as 
water-soluble CaO 
98 % S (245 % S03) 
sulphur expressed as 
total S03 - 24 % MgO 
- 45 % S03 
24 % MgO 
45 % S03 
Magnesium and sulphur 
expressed as water-
soluble magnesium oxide 
and sulphur trioxide 
15 % MgO 
28 % S03 
Magnesium and sulphur 
expressed as water-
soluble magnesium oxide 
and sulphur trioxide 
13 % MgO magnesium 
expressed as water-
soluble magnesium oxide 
Maximum calcium con­
tent 3 % CaO Other data on the type 
designation 
5 
Commercial designations 
may be added 
Commercial designations 
may be added Nutrient content to be 
declared; 
solubilities of the nutrients; 
other criteria 
6 
Total CaO 
Optional: total sulphur 
trioxide 
Water-soluble CaO 
Total sulphur trioxide 
Water soluble mag­
nesium oxide 
Optional: 
Water-soluble sulphur 
trioxide 
Water-soluble mag­
nesium oxide 
Optional: 
Water-soluble sulphur 
trioxide 
Water-soluble mag­
nesium oxide 
No C 20/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 26.1.88 
ANNEX II 
No 
1 
7 Type designation 
2 
Kieserite with pot­
assium Data on method of 
production and essential 
ingredients 
3 
Product obtained from 
crude potassium salts 
with potassium sulphate 
added Minimum content of nutrients 
(percentage by weight); 
data on the expression of 
nutrients; other requirements 
4 
8 % MgO 
Magnesium expressed as 
water-soluble MgO 
6 % K20 
Potassium expressed as 
water-soluble K20 
Total MgO + K20: 
20% 
Maximum chlorine con­
tent 3 % CI Other data on the type 
designation 
5 
Usual trade names may 
be added Nutrient content to be 
declared; 
forms and solubilities of the 
nutrients; 
other criteria 
6 
Water-soluble mag~ 
nesium oxide 
Water-soluble potassium 
oxide 
Optional mention of the 
chlorine content where 
lower than 3 % CI