The animal feed legislation is largely a conversion of rules which are set at the EU level. This is sometimes called ‘co-governance’. The co-governance tasks are carried out for and under the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. In addition the Product Board has independently laid down a number of rules in the animal feed legislation (autonomous task).

Drawing up animal feed legislation

Animal feed legislation in the Netherlands – whether it is a conversion of EU legislation or autonomous Product Board rules – is drawn up by the Animal Feed Product Board in accordance with standard procedures.

A draft regulation is drawn up in cooperation with legal and policy staff from the Product Board. When converting EU legislation, the EU regulation is of course the basis. The draft regulation is harmonised by a policy advice committee of representatives from business and it is then announced for publication in the Bulletin of the Social Economic Council. Any interested parties may comment on the draft within one month. The draft – with or without changes – is then put before the Product Board. A regulation passed by the board must then be approved by the Social Economic Council (SER). In the event of conversion of EU legislation the regulation must also be submitted for approval by the Minister responsible (usually the Minister of Agriculture, Nature Conservancy and Fisheries and possibly also the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport or other departments). After this approval has been given then publication of the regulation takes place in the Regulations Bulletin of the SER following which it may become effective.

The Product Board may, to implement its regulations further, also allow decrees to be made by the board or the chairman. These decrees do not require prior announcement or the approval of the SER or the Minister.

In the event of national technical rules in a regulation or decree not arising from the conversion of EU legislation, the Netherlands should first announce these provisions (notification) to the European Commission and the other member States before they can become effective. The Commission and the Member States will check whether the rules involve any unlawful impediment to trade. The Minister responsible and the SER will suspend their approval of the Product Board rule in such a case up to the moment that it becomes apparent that the European Commission no longer has an objection to the proposed rules.

The Animal Feed Product Board publishes the animal feed legislation in the documentation bundle “Animal Feed Legislation in the Netherlands”, in particular in:

part I: General animal feed legislation, and

part 2: Medicated feeds.