Honey Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations implement Council Directive 2001/110/EC concerning honey (O.J. No. L10, 12.1.2002, p. 48). They revoke and replace the Honey Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1976, as amended.

The Regulations –

(a) prescribe definitions and reserved descriptions for certain specified honey products (regulation 2 and Schedules 1 and 2);

(b) restrict the use of reserved descriptions to the specified honey products to which they relate (regulation 3);

(c) prescribe labelling requirements for such products (regulations 4, 5 and 6);

(d) specify a penalty, the enforcement authority, and, in accordance with Articles 2 and 3 of Council Directive 89/397/EEC on the official control of foodstuffs (O.J. No. L186, 30.6.89, p. 23), a defence in relation to exports (regulations 7 and 8);

(e) apply various provisions of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (regulation 9);

(f) revoke the previous Regulations and make consequential amendments and transitional provisions (regulations 10 and 11).