TITLE IIRULES ON PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, PACKAGING, TRANSPORT AND STORAGE OF ORGANIC PRODUCTS
CHAPTER 6Exceptional production rules
Article 39Tethering of animals
Where the conditions laid down in Article 22(2)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 apply, competent authorities may authorise cattle in small holdings to be tethered if it is not possible to keep the cattle in groups appropriate to their behaviour requirements, provided they have access to pastures during the grazing period according to Article 14(2), and at least twice a week access to open air areas when grazing is not possible.
Article 40Parallel production
1.
Where the conditions laid down in Article 22(2)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 apply, a producer may run organic and non-organic production units in the same area:
(a)
in the case of the production of perennial crops, which require a cultivation period of at least three years, where varieties cannot be easily differentiated, provided the following conditions are met:
- (i)
the production in question forms part of a conversion plan in respect of which the producer gives a firm undertaking and which provides for the beginning of the conversion of the last part of the area concerned to organic production in the shortest possible period which may not in any event exceed a maximum of five years;
- (ii)
appropriate measures have been taken to ensure the permanent separation of the products obtained from each unit concerned;
- (iii)
the control authority or control body is notified of the harvest of each of the products concerned at least 48 hours in advance;
- (iv)
upon completion of the harvest, the producer informs the control authority or control body of the exact quantities harvested on the units concerned and of the measures applied to separate the products;
- (v)
the conversion plan and the control measures referred to in Chapter 1 and 2 of Title IV have been approved by the competent authority; this approval shall be confirmed each year after the start of the conversion plan;
(b)
in the case of areas intended for agricultural research or formal education agreed by the Member States' competent authorities and provided the conditions set out in point (a)(ii)(iii)(iv) and the relevant part of point (v) are met;
(c)
in the case of production of seed, vegetative propagating material and transplants and provided the conditions set out in point (a)(ii)(iii)(iv) and the relevant part of point (v) are met;
(d)
in the case of grassland exclusively used for grazing.
2.
The competent authority may authorise holdings carrying out agricultural research or formal education to rear organic and non-organic livestock of the same species, where the following conditions are met:
(a)
appropriate measures, notified in advance to the control authority or control body, have been taken in order to guarantee the permanent separation between livestock, livestock products, manure and feedingstuffs of each of the units;
(b)
the producer informs the control authority or control body in advance of any delivery or selling of the livestock or livestock products;
(c)
the operator informs the control authority or control body of the exact quantities produced in the units together with all characteristics permitting the identification of the products and confirms that the measures taken to separate the products have been applied.
Article 41Management of beekeeping units for the purpose of pollination
Where the conditions laid down in Article 22(2)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 apply, for the purpose of pollination actions an operator may run organic and non-organic beekeeping units on the same holding, provided that all the requirements of the organic production rules are fulfilled, with the exception of the provisions for the siting of the apiaries. In that case the product cannot be sold as organic.
The operator shall keep documentary evidence of the use of this provision.