Written answers
Tuesday, 28 February 2023
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Animal Feedstuffs
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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684. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm that cobalt is no longer to be used after 15 July 2023; if so, the reason this is the case; the legislation that stipulates the removal of cobalt from animal feed additives from 15 July; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9475/23]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Commission Regulation (EU) No 601/2013 authorised a number of cobalt related feed additives for inclusion in the register of feed additives for feeding to animals. The date of first entry of these additives in this register was 15thJuly 2013 and these authorisations are for a period of ten years.
Under Article 14 of EU Regulation 1831/2003, in order for a feed additive to have its authorisation renewed, an application for renewal must be sent by the holder of the authorisation or other interested party to the EU Commission at least one year before the expiry date of the authorisation. In the case of these cobalt related additives, no applications were submitted within the required timeframe. Accordingly, these authorisations will expire on the 15th of July 2023.
New applications for the authorisation of cobalt related feed additives were submitted to the EU Commission in October 2022 and these applications are currently being assessed by European Food Safety Authority.
Officials in my Department are aware of the importance of cobalt for the feed industry and are monitoring the application's progress.
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