2.4.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L 85/15 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 599/2003 of 1 April 2003 amending Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 on organic production of agricultural products and indica- tions referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs (Text with EEA relevance) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, (5)  That authorisation shall be accompanied by an obliga- tion on the Member States to inform the Commission Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to the Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 (') of 24 June 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs, as last amended by Commission Regu- lation (EC) No 223/2003 (), and in particular the second indent of Article 13 thereof, Whereas: (1)  Preservation of animal-health and welfare must be based first and foremost upon prevention, thanks to measures such as the appropriate selection of breeds and strains and appropriate balanced diets. (2)  Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 imposes precise feeding constraints. In particular, the supply of essential substances, such as vitamins, should be covered by natural inputs. (3)  Harmonised rules for the organic livestock production are quite recent and breeders still may encounter difficul- ties in obtaining animals with the capacity to adapt to local conditions and/or to adequate management systems and in providing their animals with all the essential elements they need for harmonious growth, in particular with regard to certain liposoluble vitamins in the case of ruminants. (4) A derogation is therefore needed to authorise under specific conditions, exceptionally and only for a transi- tional period, the use of vitamins A, D and E. thereof. (6)  The Committee, provided for in Article 14 of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91, has not delivered an opinion within the time limit set by its chairman. According to the fourth paragraph of Article 14 of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91, the Commission has transmitted the proposal to the Council. Since the Council has not taken a posi- tion within the three-month time limit provided for in the fifth paragraph of Article 14 of the same Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91, the proposed measures are to be adopted by the Commission, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Atrticle 1 Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 is amended as follows: (a) Annex I Part B is amended in accordance with point 1 of the Annex to this Regulation; (b) Annex II Parts C and D are amended in accordance with point 2 of the Annex to this Regulation. Atticle 2 This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 1 April 2003. () OJ L 198, 22.7.1991, p. 1. () OJL 31, 6.2.2003, p. 3. For the Commission Franz FISCHLER Member of the Commission