Commission Regulation (EC) No 1900/98 of 4 September 1998 amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs
Date: 1998-09-04
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: agricultural product, biological standard, foodstuff, labelling, mushroom-growing, organic farming

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COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1900/98

of 4 September 1998

amending Annex I to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 on organic produc-
tion of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural
products and foodstuffs

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), as last amended by Commis-
sion Regulation (EC) No 1488/97 (2), and in particular
Article 13, first and second indent,

Whereas provisions
regulating the characteristics of
substrates for mushroom production should be included
in Annex I, in order to permit organic production of
mushrooms
the same
in the Member States under
production conditions;

Whereas the agricultural components of these substrates
should come,
from holdings producing
in principle,
according to the organic production method;

Whereas however certain components, in particular straw
and manure, can currently not be obtained in sufficient
quantities from organic production; whereas therefore it is
appropriate to foresee an appropriate transitional period
to permit producers to adapt to the new requirements;

Whereas Article 7(2), third indent, establishes the poss-
ibility to define particular
labelling requirements for
products obtained with the aid of certain products
referred to in Annex II to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91;
whereas in this particular production, it is appropriate to
foresee an informative labelling with regard to the non-
organic origin of the components of the substrate during
the transitional period;

Whereas further refinement of the requirements as laid
down in this Regulation should be considered, in partic-
ular with regard to the conditions of use including the
from holdings
maximum percentage of manure not
producing according to the organic production method,
the characteristics and the origin of
the mycelium;
whereas the preparatory works in this respect should be
started in due time in order to be finalised before the end
of the transitional period;

(1) OJ L 198, 22. 7. 1991, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 202, 30. 7. 1997, p. 12.

Whereas the length of the transitional period may be
reviewed in view of any developments with regard to the
availability of straw and manure from organic production;

Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are
in accordance with the opinion of the Committee referred
to in Article 14 of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 is amended as
shown in the Annex to the present Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall

1.
December 1998.

enter

into force on 1

By derogation to the provisions under points 5.1 and
2.
5.2 of Annex I, may be used during a transitional period
expiring on 1 December 2001:

(cid:190) products referred to in point 5.1(a) of the Annex, not
from holdings producing according to the organic
production method but satisfying the requirements
referred to in Annex II, Part A, indents 1 to 4 of
Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91,

(cid:190) and/or products referred to in point 5.2 of the Annex,
not from holdings producing according to the organic
production method, but satisfying, where relevant, the
requirements referred to in Annex II, Part A of Regu-
lation (EEC) No 2092/91,

if the products referred to in points 5.1(a) and 5.2 are not
available from holdings producing according to the
organic production method and the need is recognised by
the inspection authority or body.

In such cases, the labelling and advertising shall contain a
statement, with the wording ‘Mushrooms cultivated on a
substrate from extensive agriculture which is permitted in
organic farming during a transitional period'. The word
‘organic' in this statement, elsewhere on the label and/or
on the advertising, shall not be more prominent than the
other words of the statement.

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This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member
States.

Done at Brussels, 4 September 1998.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

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ANNEX

The following point 5 is added to Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91:

‘5.

For production of mushrooms, substrates may be used, if they are composed only of the
following components:

5.1.

farmyard manure and animal excrements (including the products referred to in indents 1 to 4 of
Annex II, Part A to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91):

(a) either from holdings producing according to the organic production method;

(b) or satisfying the requirements referred to in Annex II, Part A, indents 1 to 4, of Regulation
(EEC) No 2092/91, only up to 25 % (*), and only when the product under 5.1(a) is not
available;

5.2. products of agricultural origin, other than those covered under point 5.1 (e.g. straw), from

holdings producing according to organic production method;

5.3. peat not chemically treated;

5.4. wood, not treated with chemical products after felling;

5.5. mineral products of Annex II, Part A to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91, water and soil.

(*) This percentage is calculated on weight of total components of the substrate (excluding the covering

material and any added water) before composting.'