
Article 1 
Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 is amended as follows:

1.. Article 3 is deleted;
2.. the following Article 3a is inserted:
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Article 3a 
Member States shall monitor nitrate levels in vegetables containing significant levels, in particular green leafy vegetables, and communicate the results to the Commission by 30 June each year.';
3.. the following Article 3b is inserted:
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Article 3b 

1. By way of derogation from Article 1(1), Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom are authorised until 31 December 2008 to place on the market fresh spinach grown and intended for consumption in their territory with nitrate levels higher than the maximum levels set out in point 1.1 of Annex I.
2. By way of derogation from Article 1(1), Ireland and the United Kingdom are authorised until 31 December 2008 to place on the market fresh lettuce grown and intended for consumption in their territory and harvested throughout the year with nitrate levels higher than the maximum levels set out in point 1.3 of Annex I.By way of derogation from Article 1(1), France is authorised until 31 December 2008 to place on the market fresh lettuce grown and intended for consumption in its territory and harvested from 1 October to 31 March with nitrate levels higher than the maximum levels set out in point 1.3 of Annex I.';
4.. Section 1 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 is replaced by the table as laid down in the Annex to this Regulation.
Article 2 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.Done at Brussels, 8 November 2005.
For the Commission
Markos KYPRIANOU
Member of the Commission
ANNEX

Section 1 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 shall be replaced by the following:
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Section 1:Product Maximum level (mg NO3/kg) Sampling method Reference analysis method

1.1. Fresh spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
 Harvested 1 October to 31 March 3 000 Commission Directive 2002/63/EC 
Harvested 1 April to 30 September 2 500

1.2. Preserved, deep-frozen or frozen spinach
  2 000 Directive 2002/63/EC 

1.3. Fresh lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) (protected and open-grown lettuce) excluding lettuce listed in point 1.4.
 Harvested 1 October to 31 March:  Directive 2002/63/EC. However, the minimum number of units per laboratory sample is 10 
lettuce grown under cover 4 500
lettuce grown in the open air 4 000
Harvested 1 April to 30 September: 
lettuce grown under cover 3 500
lettuce grown in the open air 2 500

1.4. “Iceberg” type lettuces
 Lettuce grown under cover 2 500 Directive 2002/63/EC. However, the minimum number of units per laboratory sample is 10 
Lettuce grown in the open air 2 000

1.5. Baby foods and processed cereal-based foods for infants and young children
  200 Directive 2002/63/EC (provisions as foreseen for processed foods of plant origin and for processed foods of animal origin) 





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