16.3.2002 Official Journal of the European Communities L7521 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 473/2002 of 15 March 2002 amending Annexes I, II and VI to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs, and laying down detailed rules as regards the transmission of information on the use of copper compounds THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 of 24 June 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and food- stuffs (), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2491/2001 (3, and in particular the first and second indents of Article 13 thereof, Whereas: 1) () ) 0] 0] It is necessary to define more precisely the time at which the conversion period is started in principle and to define the conditions which need to be satisfied in order to recognise retroactively a period before the start, as being part of the conversion period. In exceptional circumstances, such as the outbreak of infectious diseases, accidental contaminations or natural phenomenons, the stockbreeders can afford difficulties in obtaining supply of feedingstuffs of organic origin and an authorisation has to be granted, on temporary basis and in a limited way, by the competent authority of the Member State, in view of the use of feedingstuffs not originating from organic farming. Part A of Annex I, on fertilisers and soil conditioners, provides for the possibility of using composted house- hold waste during a provisional period expiring on 31 March 2002 only. The use of composted household waste meets a real need in certain Member States, and this product is strictly regulated as regards the origin of the waste, the operation of the collection system, which must have been accepted by the Member State, and the maximum content of heavy metals, without prejudice to any other requirements for use of such product in general agriculture. These requirements may need to be reconsidered in the framework of new common legisla- tion of household wastes. The current authorisation can therefore be prolonged for a limited period of four years. Pyrethroids (deltamethrin and lambdacyhalothrin) are used in organic farming only in traps and their use thus meets the criteria of Article 7(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91. The use of these substances has been shown to meet a real need in certain crops and should therefore be authorised for an indefinite period. L 198, 22.7.1991, p. 1. L 337, 20.12.2001, p. 9. () ( ( ’) ‘) 0] 0] Germany has asked that ferric phosphate be included in Annex II to Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 so that it can be used as a molluscicide in organic agriculture. Having examined this request, the conditions laid down in Article 7(1) of that Regulation have been found being satisfied. Moreover, ferric phosphate was recently eval- uated for compliance with the criteria on human health and the environment under Council Directive 91/ 414[EEC of 15 July 1991 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market (}), as last amended by Commission Directive 2002/18/EC (¥). This product should accordingly be added to Annex II, Part B. Metaldehyde is authorised for use as a molluscicide in organic farming for a period expiring on 31 March 2002. This period should be extended for a limited transitional period of 4 years which would permit to replace, in the Member States, metaldehyde as mollusci- cide by iron (Ill) orthophosphate. The use of copper in the form of copper hydroxide, copper oxychloride, (tribasic) copper sulphate and cuprous oxide and the use of mineral oils as fungicides are considered to be traditional organic farming prac- tices in accordance with the provisions of Article 7(1a) of Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91. It has appeared that these substances are, at this point of time, indispensable to the cultivation of various crops and that only by increased research efforts it will be possible to find on medium or long term appropriate alternative solutions. Therefore, these substances should be authorised for the time being. This authorisation will be reviewed in the light of new developments and evidence with regard to available alternatives. The use of copper in the forms referred to above may have long-term consequences due to its accumulation in the soil, which appears incompatible with organic farm- ing's objective of environmentally friendly farming. The conditions for using copper should therefore be restricted by fixing a ceiling on use expressed in terms of kilograms of copper per hectare per year. This ceiling should start at the level of 8 kg copper per ha, and should after a limited transitional period of four years be reduced to 6 kg copper per ha, unless it would be demonstrated that for certain crops such lower ceiling is not efficacious. Member States should have the poss- ibility to apply this ceiling on an average basis over a 230, 19.8.1991, p. 1. 55, 26.2.2002, p. 29. =