NETHERLANDS: AGRI-AND HORTICULTURAL SHEETING, (PLASTIC FOIL) The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6. G/TBT/Notif. 96.4. 1. Member to Agreement notifying: 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. 3. Notified under Article 2.9.2. 4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Agri- and horticultural sheeting (plastic foil). 5. Title and number of pages of the notified document: Draft Order Governing the Removal of Agricultural and Horticultural Sheeting. 6. Description of content: The Draft Order Governing the Removal of Agricultural and Horticultural Sheeting stipulates that a manufacturer or importer of agricultural sheeting or horticultural sheeting is responsible for the collection and processing of his sheeting. Since insufficient processing techniques are currently available for horticultural sheeting, the order will only apply to agricultural sheeting for the time being. The manufacturer or importer may, subject to a number of preconditions (collecting as much as possible, processing to the highest possible standard and setting up a test and monitoring system) set up a collection and removal structure in line with his own views. He could do this as an individual or team up with other manufacturers or importers. The Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment has to be notified of the details of the collection and removal structure. The Minister must approve this notification. The manufacturer or importer shall then observe this approved notification. 7. Objective and rationale: Agricultural sheeting is plastic sheeting which can be collected from farmers and processed to regranulate with relative ease. Since the order can also be declared to be applicable to horticultural sheeting, it prompts the search for processing techniques thereof. The dumping of agricultural sheeting will be banned presently, because this waste material can easily be processed and dumping does not offer a permanent solution. 8. Relevant documents: (a) Environmental Management Act; (b) Covenant on Plastic Waste from Agriculture and Horticulture; (c) Memorandum on the Prevention and Re-Use of Waste Materials. 9. Proposed date of adoption and entry into force: 1 July 1996. 10. Final date for comments: 26 January 1996. (039)

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