Spreadable Fats (Marketing Standards) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations make provision for the enforcement and execution of Council Regulation (EC) No. 2991/94 (O.J. No. L316, 9.12.94, p. 2) laying down standards for spreadable fats. In pursuance of Article 6 of that Regulation, the Regulations also re-enact requirements as to the vitamin content of margarine which were previously contained in the Margarine Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1968 (S.R. & O. (N.I.) 1968 No. 3), as amended (regulation 4), subject to an exemption (regulation 3(2)).

These Regulations—

(a) specify that district councils are to enforce and execute these Regulations and the provisions of the Council Regulation referred to in column 1 (and briefly described in column 2) of Schedule 1 (regulation 5);

(b) create offences and prescribe a penalty (regulation 6) and contain a limited exemption in respect of any spreadable fat to which the EEA Agreement applies and which is brought into Northern Ireland from an EEA State other than a member State (regulation 3(1));

(c) provide a defence in relation to exports, in implementation of Articles 2 and 3 of Council Directive 89/397 EEC (O.J. No. L186, 30.6.89, p. 23) on the official control of foodstuffs, as read with the ninth recital to that Directive (regulation 7);

(d) incorporate specified provisions of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (regulation 8);

(e) revoke the Regulations and order specified in Schedule 2 to the extent specified in that Schedule (regulation 9).

Article 11(2) of the Council Regulation provides that, notwithstanding Article 2(1), products on the market of a member State on 31st December 1995 which do not meet the requirements specified may be supplied or transferred until 31st December 1997.