. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/NLD/25
20 August 2001
(01-4048)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:    English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   THE NETHERLANDS
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries.
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   National Enquiry
Point – EC WTO TBT Enquiry Point
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  The draft Regulation
contains more detailed regulations regarding the accreditation scheme of so-called
intermediaries, manure processors and exporters, which is included in the draft Decree onthe accreditation of intermediaries, manure processors and exporters under the Fertiliser
Act.  Within the framework of the accreditation scheme, animal manure must be exported
by a means of transport equipped with satellite monitoring equipment.  Article 2 of the draftRegulation contains the requirements which satellite monitoring equipment must meet.
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Article 2 of the Draft
Regulation on the Accreditation of Intermediaries, Manure Processors and Exporters underthe Fertiliser Act.
6. Description of content:   The draft Regulation contains regulations to implement the
manure sales agreements scheme included in the Fertiliser Act.  In this scheme, the volume
of animal manure which can be produced within a cattle farm is made dependent on the
scope of application and sales available for animal manure. In order to obtain salesopportunities, a cattle farm may conclude manure sales agreements with another farm or an
accredited intermediary, an accredited manure processor or an accredited exporter.  If a
cattle farm concludes a manure sales agreement with an accredited manure processor or anaccredited exporter, the animal manure - following processing or not, as the case may be -
must be sold outside the Netherlands on the basis of agreements concluded with customers
of manure who are located outside the Netherlands.  In order to ensure that the manure isactually sold outside the Netherlands in a manner which is verifiable, requirements are
prescribed with regard to the physical transport of animal manure to customers located
outside the Netherlands.  These requirements pertain to the export of animal manure fromthe Netherlands and not to the import of animal manure into the Netherlands.  Foreign
intermediaries, manure processors and exporters can also be accredited, and appropriate
conditions apply accordingly.G/TBT/N/NLD/25
Page 2
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
The reason for introducing a manure sales agreements scheme is the Commission's
notification to the Netherlands of compliance with the obligations laid down in the NitrateDirective and the reasoned opinion issued by the Commission on 3 August 1999.  The law -
which, inter alia, aims to introduce a manure sales agreements scheme - has been notified,
as well as the draft Decree on the accreditation of intermediaries, manure processors andexporters under the Fertiliser Act:
8. Relevant documents:  The draft Decree on the accreditation of intermediaries, manure
processors and exporters under the Fertiliser Act.
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: }As soon as possible
10. Final date for comments:   29 October 2001
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:           