Commission notice clarifying the applicable legislation to the conditions for import of hemp and hemp seeds under Article 189 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council
Date: 2023-12-06
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: EAFRD, EAGF, EU direct payments, aid to agriculture, common organisation of markets, eligibility criteria, hemp, narcotic, seed








C_202301365EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series C













C/2023/1365


6.12.2023






Commission notice clarifying the applicable legislation to the conditions for import of hemp and hemp seeds under Article 189 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council
(C/2023/1365)


Purpose of the notice

The aim of this notice is clarifying the current requirements for imports of hemp and hemp seeds into the Union under Article 189 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1), following the entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) and consequent repeal of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3). Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 was adopted as part of the CAP reform, providing for a new legal framework in one single Regulation that covers the Union support financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), replacing Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) and Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013. Article 4(4) of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 adjusted the conditions for eligibility for direct payments for areas cultivated with hemp that were previously laid down in Article 32(6) and in Article 35(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013. Since the rules on imports of hemp and hemp seeds laid down in Article 189 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 are based on the conditions for eligibility for direct payments, it is necessary to clarify the current requirements for the import of certain hemp products under Article 189 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.

Maximum THC content in hemp and hemp seeds imported into the Union









1.


Article 189(1)(a) and (b) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 provides for checks of imports of respectively hemp and hemp seeds to ensure that they offer certain guarantees regarding their tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content. It reads as follows:

                     ‘The following products may be imported into the Union only if the following conditions are met:






(a)


raw true hemp falling within CN code 5302 10 00 meeting the conditions laid down in Article 32(6) and in Article 35(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;










(b)


seeds of varieties of hemp falling within CN code ex 1207 99 20 for sowing accompanied by proof that the tetrahydrocannabinol level of the variety concerned does not exceed that fixed in accordance with Article 32(6) and in Article 35(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013;’.
















2.


These checks need to ensure that raw true hemp falling within CN code 5302 10 00 meets the conditions laid down in Article 32(6) and in Article 35(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 and that seeds of varieties of hemp falling within CN code ex 1207 99 20 for sowing are accompanied by proof that the tetrahydrocannabinol level of the variety concerned does not exceed that fixed in accordance with Article 32(6) and in Article 35(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.












3.


In accordance with Article 154(2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 has been repealed with effect from 1 January 2023. Article 32(6) and Article 35(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 have been by replaced by Article 4(4), second subparagraph, and Article 4(8) of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115.












4.


Article 4(4), second subparagraph of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 provides for an increase in the maximum allowed THC levels of hemp cultivated on land eligible for direct payments from 0,2 % to 0,3 %.












5.


Therefore, the maximum allowed THC levels for imports of hemp falling within CN code 5302 10 00 and seeds of varieties of hemp falling within CN code ex 1207 99 20 for sowing is 0,3 % since 1 January 2023.












6.


Updated rules on additional requirements and on the verification of hemp varieties and on the quantitative determination of the THC content set out in delegated acts that are adopted under Article 4(8) of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 (5) also apply to imports of hemp falling within CN code 5302 10 00 and of seeds of varieties of hemp falling within CN code ex 1207 99 20 for sowing from 1 January 2023.






(1)  Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671).

(2)  Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021 establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1305/2013 and (EU) No 1307/2013 (OJ L 435 6.12.2021, p. 1).

(3)  Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing rules for direct payments to farmers under support schemes within the framework of the common agricultural policy and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 637/2008 and Council Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 608).

(4)  Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 487).

(5)  See Articles 2 to 5 of, and Annex I to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/126 of 7 December 2021 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council with additional requirements for certain types of intervention specified by Member States in their CAP Strategic Plans for the period 2023 to 2027 under that Regulation as well as rules on the ratio for the good agricultural and environmental condition (GAEC) standard 1 (OJ L 20, 31.1.2022, p. 52).


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/1365/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)