TITLE IIRULES ON PRODUCTION, PRESERVATION, PROCESSING, PACKAGING, TRANSPORT AND STORAGE OF ORGANIC PRODUCTS

CHAPTER 1Plant Production

Article 3Soil management and fertilisation

1.

Where the nutritional needs of plants cannot be met by measures provided for in Article 12(1)(a), (b) and (c) of Regulation (EC) No 834/2007, only fertilisers and soil conditioners referred to in Annex I to this Regulation may be used in organic production and only to the extent necessary. Operators shall keep documentary evidence of the need to use the product.

2.

The total amount of livestock manure, as defined in Council Directive 91/676/EEC12 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources, applied on the holding may not exceed 170 kg of nitrogen per year/hectare of agricultural area used. This limit shall only apply to the use of farmyard manure, dried farmyard manure and dehydrated poultry manure, composted animal excrements, including poultry manure, composted farmyard manure and liquid animal excrements.

3.

Organic-production holdings may establish written cooperation agreements exclusively with other holdings and enterprises which comply with the organic production rules, with the intention of spreading surplus manure from organic production. The maximum limit as referred to in paragraph 2, shall be calculated on the basis of all of the organic-production units involved in such cooperation.

4.

Appropriate preparations of micro-organisms may be used to improve the overall condition of the soil or the availability of nutrients in the soil or in the crops.

5.

For compost activation appropriate plant-based preparations or preparations of micro-organisms may be used.