Citation and commencement

1.  This Scheme may be cited as the Organic Farming (Conversion of Animal Housing) (Amendment) Scheme (Northern Ireland) 2005 and shall come into operation on 30th March 2005.

Interpretation

2.  In this Scheme “the principal Scheme” means the Organic Farming (Conversion of Animal Housing) Scheme (Northern Ireland) 2003(3).

Amendment of the principal Scheme

3.  Subject to Article 7, the principal Scheme shall be amended in accordance with Articles 4 to 6.

4.  In Article 2 (interpretation) –

(a)for the definition of “Council Regulation 2092/91” there shall be substituted the following definition –

““Council Regulation 2092/91” means Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs(4) as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1481/2004(5)”;

(b)in the definition of “inspection authority” for the words “Organic Products Regulations 1992”(6) there shall be substituted the words “Organic Products Regulations 2004”(7);

(c)in the definitions of “livestock undergoing conversion” and “organic livestock” for the words “UKROFS standards” there shall be substituted the words “UK Organic Standards”;

(d)for the definition of “UKROFS standards” there shall be substituted the following definition –

““UK Organic Standards” means the standards set out in the Compendium of UK Organic Standards, May 2004 Edition, published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs”.

5.  In Article 6 (conditions of eligibility) for the words “UKROFS standards” where they twice occur there shall be substituted the words “UK Organic Standards”.

6.  In Article 9 (closing date for claims) for the words “31st March 2005” there shall be substituted the words “31st March 2006”.

Transitional provision

7.  Articles 4(c) and (d) and 5 shall not apply in a case where expenditure has been approved by the Department for the purposes of a grant under Article 3 of the principal Scheme before coming into operation of this Scheme.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Scheme.)

This Scheme amends the Organic Farming (Conversion of Animal Housing) Scheme (Northern Ireland) 2003 (“the principal Scheme”) by –

(a)updating references to Community and United Kingdom legislation (Article 4(a) and (b));

(b)replacing the references to the standards set out in the United Kingdom Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS) with references to the standards set out in the Compendium of UK Organic Standards, May 2004 Edition, published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Article 4(c) and (d) and 5); and

(c)providing that the closing date for claims for grant to be received by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development under the principal Scheme shall be 31st March 2006 instead of 31st March 2005 (Article 6);

A transitional provision has been included for applications approved by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development before the coming into operation of this Scheme (Article 7).

The Compendium of UK Organic Standards is published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and a copy may be inspected during normal office hours at the Offices of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development at Dundonald House, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 3SB or on the Defra Website at www.defra.gov.uk/farm/organic/legislation-standards/compendium-may04.pdf