Commission Regulation (EC) No 1177/2000 of 31 May 2000 amending Regulation (EEC) No 1164/89 laying down detailed rules concerning the aid for fibre flax and hemp
Date: 2000-05-31
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: flax, hemp, production aid, terms for aid

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COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1177/2000

of 31 May 2000

amending Regulation (EEC) No 1164/89 laying down detailed rules concerning the aid for fibre flax
and hemp

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

(3)

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1308/70 of 29
June 1970 on the common organisation of the market in flax
and hemp (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2702/
1999 (2), and in particular Article 4(5) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

In accordance with Article 3(1) of Council Regulation
(EEC) No 619/71 of 22 March 1971 laying down
general rules for granting aid for flax and hemp (3), as
last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1420/98 (4), the aid
for hemp is granted solely for varieties where the weight
of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) determined by reference
to the weight of a sample dried to a constant weight has
on analysis been found not to exceed certain limits. In
addition, Article 3(3) of Commission Regulation (EEC)
No 1164/89 of 28 April 1989 laying down detailed
rules concerning the aid for fibre flax and hemp (5), as
last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1328/1999 (6),
provides that Member States must determine the average
THC content of hemp on a certain percentage of the
areas under hemp

have

since

advances

been made

Scientific
the
Community method for the quantitative determination
of THC in varieties of hemp was laid down in 1989 in
Annex C to Regulation (EEC) No 1164/89. Furthermore,
that method makes provision for
cumbersome
sampling procedure for checks on production that is
difficult to carry out in practice. A new method more

a

suited to requirements and in line with current possibili-
ties should therefore be laid down.

The method used for determining the THC content of
varieties of hemp on which aid is payable must be very
accurate in order to ensure compliance with the condi-
tions laid down in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EEC) No
In addition, with a view to the findings
619/71.
regarding production provided for in Article 3(3) of
Regulation (EEC) No 1164/89, the method used must
allow checks
to cover a sufficiently representative
percentage of the areas under hemp so as to ensure that
crops correspond to those provided for under
the
common organisation of the market in this product. A
method comprising two different procedures, one for
each of the objectives pursued, should therefore be laid
down.

(4)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of
the Management
Committee for Flax and Hemp,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Annex C to Regulation (EEC) No 1164/89 is replaced by the
Annex hereto.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh day
following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Communities.

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

Done at Brussels, 31 May 2000.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 146, 4.7.1970, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 327, 21.12.1999, p. 7.
(3) OJ L 72, 26.3.1971, p. 2.
(4) OJ L 190, 4.7.1998, p. 7.
(5) OJ L 121, 29.4.1989, p. 4.
(6) OJ L 157, 24.6.1999, p. 39.

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ANNEX

‘ANNEX C

COMMUNITY METHOD FOR THE QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF THE ∆9-THC CONTENT OF HEMP
VARIETIES

1.

Purpose and scope

This method seeks to determine the ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of varieties of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)
As appropriate, the method involves applying procedure A or B herein described.

The method is based on the quantitative determination of ∆9-THC by gas chromatography (GC) after extraction with
a suitable solvent.

1.1. Procedure A:

Procedure A is used for checks on production as provided for in Article 3(3) of this Regulation.

Where the checks show, for a significant number of samples of a given variety, THC contents which exceed that laid
down in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 619/71, the Commission may, without prejudice to any other measures
it might take, decide in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 12 of Regulation (EEC) No 1308/70 to
use procedure B for the variety concerned.

1.2. Procedure B:

Procedure B is used in cases as referred to in the second subparagraph of point 1.1 and for checking that the
conditions laid down in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 619/71 are fulfilled with a view to inclusion on the list
of varieties of hemp eligible for aid from the 2001 to 2002 marketing year.

Applications to include a variety of hemp on the list must be accompanied by a report giving the findings of
analyses carried out using this method.

2.

Sampling

2.1. Samples

— Procedure A: In a standing crop of a given variety of hemp, take a 30 cm part of each plant containing at least
one female inflorescence per plant selected. Sampling is to be carried out during the period running from 20 days
after the start of flowering to 10 days after the end of flowering, during the day, following a systematic pattern to
ensure that the sample is representative of the field but excluding the edges of the crop.

— Procedure B: In a standing crop of a given variety of hemp, take the upper third of each plant selected. Sampling
is to be carried out during the 10 days following the end of flowering, during the day, following the end of
flowering, during the day, following a systematic pattern to ensure that the sample is representative of the field
but excluding the edges of the crop. In the case of dioecious varieties, only female plants must be taken.

2.2. Sample size:

— Procedure A: the sample is to comprise parts of 50 plants per field.

— Procedure B: the sample is to comprise parts of 200 plants per field.

Each sample is to be placed in a fabric or paper bag, without crushing it, and sent to the laboratory for analysis.

The Member State may provide for a second sample to be collected for counteranalysis, if required, to be kept either
by the producer or by the body responsible for the analysis.

2.3. Drying and storage of the sample:

Drying of the samples must begin as soon as possible and, in any case, within 48 hours using any method below
70 °C. Samples should be dried to a constant weight and to a moisture content of between 8 % and 13 %.

After drying, store the samples without crushing them at below 25 °C in a dark place.

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3. Determination of THC content

3.1. Preparation of the test sample

Remove stems and seeds over 2 mm in size from the dried samples.

Grind the dried samples to obtain a semi-fine powder (passing through a 1 mm mesh sieve).

The powder may be stored for 10 weeks at below 25 °C in a dark, dry place.

3.2. Reagents and extraction solution

R e a g e n t s :
— ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol, pure for chromatographic purposes,

— Squalane, pure for chromatographic purposes, as an internal standard.

E x t r a c t i o n s o l u t i o n :
— 35 mg of squalane per 100 ml hexane.

3.3. Extraction of ∆9-THC

Weigh 100 mg of the powdered test sample, place in a centrifuge tube and add 5 ml of extraction solution
containing the internal standard.

Place in an ultrasound bath and leave for 20 minutes. Centrifuge for five minutes at 3 000 r.p.m. and then remove
the supernatant THC solution. Inject the solution into the chromatograph and carry out a quantitative analysis.

3.4. Gas chromatography

(a) A p p a r a t u s :

— gas chromatograph with a flame ionisation detector and a split/splitless injector,

— column allowing good separation of cannabinoids, for example a glass capillary column 25 m long and

0,22 mm in diameter impregnated with a 5 % non-polar phenyl-methyl-siloxane phase.

(b) C a l i b r a t i o n r a n g e s :

At least three points for procedure A and five points for procedure B, including points 0,04 and 0,50 mg/ml
∆9-THC in extraction solution.

(c) E x p e r i m e n t a l c o n d i t i o n s :

The following conditions are given as an example for the column referred to in (a):

— Oven temperature:
— Injector temperature:
— Detector temperature:

(d) V o l u m e i n j e c t e d : 1 µ l

4.

Findings

260 °C
300 °C
300 °C

The findings are to be expressed to two decimal places in grams of ∆9-THC per 100 grams of analytical sample dried
to constant weight. A tolerance of 0,03 g per 100 g applies.

— Procedure A: one determination per test sample.

However, where the result obtained is above the limit laid down in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 619/71, a
second determination must be carried out per analysis sample and the mean value of the two determinations will
be taken as the result.

— Procedure B: the result corresponds to the mean value of two determinations per test sample.’