1997 No. 378

AGRICULTURE

The Fertilisers (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Made

Coming into operation

The Department of Agriculture, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by sections 66(1), 68(1), (2) and (3), 69(1), (3), (6) and (7), 70(1), 74(1), 74A(1), (2) and (4), 84 and 86(1), (2), (3) and (9) of the Agriculture Act 19701 and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, after consultation with such persons or organisations as appear to it to represent the interests concerned, being a Department designated2 for the purposes of section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 19723 in relation to the regulation and control of classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances and preparations, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by the said section 2(2), and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation1

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Fertilisers (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 and shall come into operation on 18th September 1997.

2

In these Regulations “the principal Regulations” means the Fertilisers Regulations (Northern Ireland) 19924.

3

The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 19545 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Amendment of the principal Regulations

2

The principal Regulations are hereby further amended in accordance with regulation 3.

3

In the table in Schedule 1—

a

in Group 1(a) of Section A (STRAIGHT FERTILISERS), after the provisions relation to the material Ammonium sulphonitrate with dicyandiamide (nitrification inhibitor), there shall be inserted in columns (2) to (5) the contents of Schedule 1; and

b

in Section E (SECONDARY NUTRIENT FERTILISERS), after the provisions relating to the material Magnesium sulphate solution, there shall be inserted in columns (2) to (5) the contents of Schedule 2.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland on

Evelyn CumminsAssistant Secretary

SCHEDULE 1

Regulation 3(a)

Urea-ammonium sulphate

Product obtained chemically from urea and ammonium sulphate containing not less than 30% nitrogen (N).

Amount of:Total nitrogen:

0.5

Minimum ammoniacal nitrogen content: 4%

Ammoniacal nitrogen; Ureic nitrogen;

As set out in paragraph 7(a)

Minimum sulphur content expressed as sulphur trioxide: 12% Maximum biuret content: 0.9%

Water-soluble sulphur trioxide;

0.9

SCHEDULE 2

Regulation 3(b)

Magnesium hydroxide

Product obtained chemically and having as its essential ingredient magnesium hydroxide and containing not less than 60% MgO. Particle size: at least 99% able to pass through a sieve with a mesh of 0.63 mm.

Total magnesium oxide

0.9

Suspension of magnesium hydroxide

Product obtained by suspension of magnesium hydroxide and containing not less than 24% MgO.

Total magnesium oxide

0.9

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations further amend the Fertilisers Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992 (“the principal Regulations”) and implement as respects Northern Ireland Commission Directive 96/28/EC (O.J. No. L140, 13.6.96, p. 30) adapting to technical progress Council Directive 76/116/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the member States relating to fertilisers.

The Regulations amend Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations, which relates to prescribed descriptions of material, meanings of names, particulars and information to be contained in the statutory statement and limits of variation, as regards fertilisers specified in the Table to that Schedule, by specifying additional fertilisers which may, in accordance with Commission Directive 96/28/EC, be designated as “EEC fertilisers” (regulation 3(a) and (b) and the Schedules).