CELEX: 51987PC0646
Language: en
Date: 1987-12-17
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL DIRECTIVE supplementing and amending Directive 76/116/EEC in respect of the calcium, magnesium, sodium and sulphur content of fertilizers (submitted by the Commission)

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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (87) 646
Vol. 1987/0305
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                   COM(87 ) 646 final
                                                   Brussels , 17 December 1987
                                   Proposai for a
                                 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
     supplementing and amending Directive 76/ 116 / EEC in respect of the
        calcium , magnesium , sodium and sulphur content of fertilizers
                          ( submitted by the Commission )
                                                10
                              Щ 0 3 К23 1
                                     Sû;ii fjij
C0M(87 ) 646 final
 ---pagebreak---                            PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
            supplementing and amending Directive 76 / 116 / EEC in respect of
          the calcium7 magnesium/ sodium and sulphur content of fertilizers
                                Explanatory mémorandum
  The purpose of this proposal for a directive is to modify Council Directive
  76/116/EEC^ of 18 December 1975 on the approximation of the laws of the
  Member States relating to fertilizers so as to include the nutrients calcium /
  magnesium,     sodium and sulphur which may be contained           in or added to
  ferti lizers .
  The presence of such nutrients in fertilizers is already provided for in the
  ISO classification of fertilizers .
  Progress in the agronomic sciences has shown that /        in order to increase the
  yield and quality of crops in countries where intensive farming is practised/
  it is necessary to add to the soil nutrients which crops obtained hitherto in
  sufficient quantities from rock erosion and from the returning to the soil of
  crop remains and farm fertilizers .    The addition of these nutrients makes it
  possible to make up for the natural / progressive deficiency which develops in
  certain soils .    However / it is not always necessary to add nutrients either
  because they are present naturally / e.g. calcium and magnesium/ or because
  they are contained in emissions from industrial and urban activity/ e.g.
  sulphur dioxide / and are able to return to the soil and form compounds which
* crops may absorb .    It is thus for the authorities concerned to specify where
  nutrients need to be added and where their addition is not advised .
  1)
     OJ L 24 / 30.1.1976/ p. 21
 ---pagebreak---                                        - 2 -
Fertilizers containing calcium , magnesium , sodium and sulphur are traded
between the Member States as required and in accordance with the national
regulations .    It is therefore necessary to harmonize the regulations in order
to eliminate barriers to trade .
Initially , however , the Commission and the Member States did not consider it
necessary to harmonize the regulations for fertilizers for maintaining or
adjusting the pH of the soil .      There is very little trade in these products
because of their bulk and the high doses needed to obtain the desired effect .
Except for certain products , the Member States therefore agreed not to declare
the calcium content of fertilizers as such a declaration might make users
think that in many fertilizers the calcium would have the effect of adjusting
the pH , or that its effect would be negligible or might be better expressed in
some other way .
The form of declaration for nutrient content of fertilizers is not fully
harmonized within the Community .     The approaches are similar but the form of
declaration must take account of the commercial implications within the
Community and the views of non-member countries ,    with which there is a large
volume of trade in fertilizers .        This aspect could be considered by an
international body .
This proposal has been produced following a number of meetings over a period
of several years and consultations with a working party of national experts on
fertilizers .     Representatives of the trade organizations in the industrial
sector concerned were also consulted .
 It takes into account paragraph 3 of Article 100 A since it assures high levels
of protection for the consumer and the environment by provisions concerning the
 application of quantities of fertilizers .
 Consultation of the European Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee
Under Article 100 A of the Treaty the European Parliament and the Economic and
 Social Committee must be consulted as the implementation of this directive will
 involve the amendment of legislation in the Member States .
 ---pagebreak---                                Proposai for a
                             COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
   supplementing and amending Directive 76 / 116 / EEC in respect of the
     calcium , magnesium , sodium and sulphur content of fertilizers
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 ,
                                              2
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
                                         4
the marketing of solid EEC fertilizers , 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
ferti lizers ;
Whereas Directive 76 / 116/ EEC may also be applicable to fertilizers containing
only calcium , magnesium and sulphur ,
1
  0J
2
  0J
3
  0J L 24 , 30.1.1976, p. 21
 ---pagebreak---                                            - 2 -
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE :
                                        Article 1
A declaration of the magnesium , sodium and sulphur content of the EEC ferti ¬
lizers 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 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 ferti ¬
lizers 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 CCaO ), 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
 ---pagebreak---                                          - 3 -
                                       Artide A
Fertilizers meeting the requirements of the Annexes may be
marked " EEC FERTILIZER ".
                                       Article 5
Member States may stipulate that the magnesium, sodium and sulphur con¬
tents of fertilizers marketed in their territories shall be expressed :
              - either in the oxide form ( MgO, Na 20, 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 con¬
tents 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 ;
 ---pagebreak---                                            - 4 -
            - 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 speci ¬
          fied in the Annexes to the Directives on fertilizers .
The nutrient content of straight and compound fertilizers 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 appropriate chemical
symbols , e.g. nitrogen ( N ), phosphorus ( P ), phosphorus pentoxide ( P205 ) potas¬
sium ( K ), potassium oxide ( K20 ), magnesium ( Mg ), magnesium oxide ( MgO ), sodium
( Na ), sodium oxide ( Na20 ), sulphur ( S ), sulphur , trioxide ( S03 ).
                                         Article 7
The declaration of the magnesium , sodium and sulphur content of the ferti ¬
lizers 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 ).
 ---pagebreak---                                        - 5 -
                                     Artide 8
The tolerances allowed in respect of the declared calcium , magnesium,       sodium
and sulphur contents shall be 1 / 4 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 n° 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 twelve 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 .
Done at Brussels ,                                For the Counci l
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                                                     »
                                                                                                                    i
                                              ANNEX    I
   List of fertilizers containing calcium , magnesium , and sulphur as principal nutrients
 Type désignation    Data on method of pro¬    Minimum content of     Other data on      Nutrient content to be
                    duction and essential      nutrients (% by        the type desi-     declared; solubilities
                     ingrédients               weight ); data on the  gnaticn            of the nutrients; other
                                               expression of nutri ¬                     criteria
                                               ents; other require¬
                                               ments .
           2                    3                        4                    5                      6
Calcium sulphate   Product of natural       25 */. CaO                  Commercial         Total CaO
                   or industrial origin     35 % S03                    designations       Optional : total
                   containing calcium       Calcium sulphur             may be added       sulphur trnoxide
                   sulphate at various      expressed as total CaO
                   degrees of hydration     and SO3
                                            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
Calcium chloride   Calcium chloride         12 % CaO                                       Water-soluble CaO
solution           solution of indus ¬      Calcium expressed as water-
                   trial origin             soluble CaO
Elemental sulphur  Corpa rati ve ly refined 98 % S (245 X SO3)                             Total sulphur trioxide
                   natural product          sulphur expressed as total
                                            SO3 -24 % MgO -45 % SO3
K-.eserite         Product of mineral       24 / MgO                                       Water soluble magnésium
                   origin containing        45 '/. SO3                                     oxide
                   monohydrated mag¬        Magnesium and sulphur                          Opticnal :
                   nesium sulphate as       expressed as water-                            Water-soluble sulphur
                   main component           soluble mahnesium                              trioxide
                                            oxide and sulphur trioxide
Magnesium sulphate Product containing       15% MgO                     Commercial         Water-soluble
                   only heptahydrated       28 % SO3                    designations may   magnésium oxide
                   magnesium sulphate       Magnesium and sulphur       be added           Opticnal :
                   as main component        expressed as water-                            Water-soluble sulphur
                                            soluble magnesium oxide                         trioxide
                                            and sulphur trioxide
Magnesium chloride Product obtained by      13 % MgO magnesium expres¬                      Water-soluble magnésium
solution           dissolving magnesium     sed as water-soluble mag¬                       oxide
                    chloride of industrial  nesium oxide
                    origin                  Maxi mm calcium content
                                            3 % CaO
 ---pagebreak---                                                                    AMVEX II
NO     Type designation  Data on method of production Minimum content of nutrients Other data on .        Nutrient content to be declared ;
                         and essential ingredients       ( percentage by weight ;)      the type desi ¬   forms and solubilities of the
                                                         data on the expression of      gnation           nutrients ;    other criteria
                                                         nutrients ; other requirements
  1              2                        3                                4                     5                          6
7   Kieserite with      Product obtained from crude      8 Z MgO                        Usual trade names Water–soluble rmgnesium oxide
    Retassi un          potassici!) salts with potassiim Magnesium expressed as water-  may be added
                        sulphate added                   soluble MgO                                      Water-soluble potassium oxide
                                                         6 Z K2O                                          Optional mention of the chlorine
                                                         Potassium expressed as water-                    content where lower than 3 Z Cl
                                                         soluble K2O
                                                         Total MgO + K2O : 20 Z
                                                         Maximum chlorine
                                                         content 3 Z Cl