OBJECTIVE: to harmonize within the Community the rules governing the circulation of feed
materials.
COMMUNITY MEASURE: Council Directive 96/25/EC on the circulation of feed materials,
amending Directives 70/524/EEC, 74/63/EEC, 82/471/EEC and 93/74/EEC and repealing Directive
77/101/EEC.
SUBSTANCE: the Directive regulates the circulation of feed materials by replacing Directive
77/101/EEC on the marketing of straight feedingstuffs, with a view to the smooth functioning of the
internal market. The rules governing the circulation of feed materials are particularly useful in
ensuring sufficient transparency throughout the food chain, while improving the quality of livestock
production.
The Directive is based on the following main elements:
- straight feedingstuffs and raw feed materials are to be placed in one category, namely 'feed
materials';
- all feed materials placed in circulation must be sound, genuine and of merchantable quality;
- feed materials placed in circulation must be labelled to indicate their purpose, determined by the
end user. The main feed materials must have specific labelling based on a description complying
with a Community-wide model;
- feed materials, other than vegetable feed crops, which are placed in circulation in quantities of less
than 10 kg and intended for end users other than approved compound feed manufacturers are subject
to a declaration requirement regarding certain analytical constituents, the model for which is laid
down at Community level;
- feed materials containing higher amounts of undesirable substances than those permitted by
Directive 74/63/EEC may be supplied only to approved compound feed manufacturers with a view
to further processing;
- in order to facilitate the adoption of implementing measures, a procedure for cooperation between
the Member States and the Commission, by means of consultation within the Standing Committee
on Feedingstuffs, is established;
- mixtures of feed materials other than those explicitly listed are considered to be semi-manufactured
compound feedingstuffs;
- provisions are laid down to ensure that the accuracy of the declarations made at all stages of
circulation of feed materials can be officially verified in a uniform manner throughout the
Community.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 23/05/1996.
DEADLINE FOR TRANSPOSITION: 01/07/1998. Feed materials marketed before 01/07/1998
which do not comply with the Directive may, however, remain in circulation until 30/06/1999.
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