The Honey (Scotland) Regulations 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations, which extend to Scotland only, implement Council Directive 2001/110/EC concerning honey (O.J. No. L 10, 12.1.2002, p.47). They revoke and replace the Honey (Scotland) Regulations 1976 (“the 1976 Regulations”), as amended.

The Regulations–

(a) prescribe definitions and reserved descriptions for certain specified honey products (regulation 2 and Schedules 1 and 2);

(b) provide for the circumstances in which the Regulations apply (regulation 3);

(c) restrict the use of reserved descriptions to the specified honey products to which they relate (regulation 4);

(d) prescribe labelling requirements for such products (regulations 5 and 6);

(e) prescribe the manner of making or labelling and apply specified provisions of the Food Labelling Regulations 1996 (regulation 7);

(f) specify a penalty, enforcement authorities and, in accordance with Articles 2 and 3 of Council Directive 89/397/EEC on the official control of foodstuffs (O.J. No. L 186, 30.6.89, p.23) and the European Economic Area Agreement, a defence in relation to exports (regulations 8 and 9);

(g) apply various provisions of the Food Safety Act 1990 (regulation 10);

(h) make transitional provisions (regulation 11); and

(i) revoke the previous Regulations and make consequential amendments (regulation 12).

These Regulations differ from the 1976 Regulations by–

(a) introducing new reserved descriptions for nectar honey, cut comb in honey, filtered honey and baker’s honey;

(b) omitting the definitions of freshly built broodless combs, honeybee and plant;

(c) introducing technical compositional changes for honey, blossom honey, honeydew honey, comb honey and pressed honey; and

(d) re-enacting with modifications labelling requirements.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment, which includes a compliance cost assessment of the effect these Regulations would have on business costs, has been prepared and placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Copies may be obtained from the Food Standards Agency, 6th Floor, St Magnus House, 25 Guild Street, Aberdeen AB11 6NJ.