WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.99.512
15 October 1999
(99-4417)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   THE NETHERLANDS
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of  Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment
Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be
indicated if different from above:   National Enquiry Point
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Agricultural seal: a
plastic seal used in agriculture for ensiling feed and grass.  Horticultural seal: a plastic sealwith various applications in horticulture.
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Regulation on
the Designation of Agricultural and Horticultural Seals
6. Description of content:   As the Regulation on the designation of agricultural and
horticultural seals enters into effect, the agricultural seal and horticultural seal will fall
under the scope of the Decree on the disposal of agricultural and horticultural seals.  These
seals may no longer be dumped but shall be processed in a manner which isenvironmentally justified.  The manufacturers and importers of these seals shall then be
responsible for collecting and then disposing of these seals.  Subject to a number of pre-
conditions, manufacturers and importers are allowed to set up a disposal system as they seefit, either individually or jointly.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
Agricultural seal and horticultural seal are plastic seals which can be broken down into re-
granulated materials and for which collection systems are available.  By passing on the
responsibility of the collection and further disposal of seals to manufacturers and importers,it is ensured that these seals are collected and disposed of separately and do not end up aslitter in the environment or are not dumped. The Regulation on the designation of
agricultural seals pertains to seals both produced in the Netherlands and imported.
8. Relevant documents:   Decree on the disposal of agricultural and horticultural seals          
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: }1 November 1999
10. Final date for comments:   20 October 1999
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, e-mail and telefax
number of the other body:           