Message 001
Communication from the Commission - TRIS/(2026) 1577
Directive (EU) 2015/1535
Notification: 2026/0296/ES
Notification of a draft text from a Member State
Notification – Notification – Notifzierung – Нотификация – Oznámení – Notifikation – Γνωστοποίηση – Notificación – Teavitamine – Ilmoitus – Obavijest – Bejelentés – Notifica – Pranešimas – Paziņojums – Notifika – Kennisgeving – Zawiadomienie – Notificação – Notificare – Oznámenie – Obvestilo – Anmälan – Fógra a thabhairt
Does not open the delays - N'ouvre pas de délai - Kein Fristbeginn - Не се предвижда период на прекъсване - Nezahajuje prodlení - Fristerne indledes ikke - Καμμία έναρξη προθεσμίας - No abre el plazo - Viivituste perioodi ei avata - Määräaika ei ala tästä - Ne otvara razdoblje kašnjenja - Nem nyitja meg a késéseket - Non fa decorrere la mora - Atidėjimai nepradedami - Atlikšanas laikposms nesākas - Ma jiftaħx il-perijodi ta’ dewmien - Geen termijnbegin - Nie otwiera opóźnień - Não inicia o prazo - Nu deschide perioadele de stagnare - Nezačína oneskorenia - Ne uvaja zamud - Inleder ingen frist - Ní osclaíonn sé na moilleanna
MSG: 20261577.EN
1. MSG 001 IND 2026 0296 ES EN 12-06-2026 ES NOTIF
2. Spain
3A. Subdirección General de Asuntos Industriales, Energéticos, de Transportes y Comunicaciones, y de Medio Ambiente.
Dirección General de Coordinación del Mercado Interior y otras Políticas Comunitarias.
Secretaría de Estado para la Unión Europea
Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación.
3B. Subdireccion General de Calidad y Sostenibilidad Alimentaria
Dirección General de Alimentación
Secretaría General de Recursos Agrarios y Seguridad Alimentaria
Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación
4. 2026/0296/ES - C00A - AGRICULTURE, FISHING AND FOODSTUFFS
5. Royal Decree approving the detailed standards for the production of organic sea salt and other organic salts and brines for food and feed
6. The regulation will apply to the production of organic sea salt and other organic salts for food and feed, as well as to organic spring brines.
7.
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers: Articles 40, 43, 44 and 45
This draft regulation is notified pursuant to the procedure laid down in Article 45 of Regulation (EC) No 1169/2011, given that the proposed new national legislation includes provisions relating to the labelling of organic salt and brines, fully compliant with the applicable European Community regulations.
8. This Royal Decree establishes the detailed production standards for organic sea salt and other organic salts and brines for food and feed, supplementing the principles and standards established in Regulation (EU) 2018/848. This regulation complements Royal Decree 1424/1983, of 27 April, which approves the Technical and Sanitary Regulations for the production, distribution, and sale of edible salt and brines. Salts for animal feed must comply with their specific regulations.
The Royal Decree includes definitions of organic salt and brine, drying, production unit, and preparation unit. Seawater, brines not from springs, and other synthetic products derived from chemical reactions, as well as effluents or by-products from the chemical industry, desalination plants, or potash flotation processes, are excluded from its scope.
The regulation includes general and specific requirements for the production of organic salt and brines. It also prohibits practices such as the use of explosives and artificial dissolution to extract rock salt, the forced extraction of brines from saline aquifers, and recrystallisation or artificial crystallisation. It also outlines the labelling requirements for organic salt and brines. It establishes a conversion period of at least 18 months in which the principles of the Royal Decree and Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production will be applied after notifying the activity to the competent authority. A clause on the marketing of stocks and other on the single market are included.
9. Regulation 848/2018 on organic production includes sea salt and other salts for food and feed within its scope (Annex I products closely linked to agriculture). It allows Member States to apply national production standards provided these are consistent with the basic organic production regulation.
Since there are no detailed European standards for the production of organic sea salt and other organic salts and brines, and considering that Spain is a major salt producer, as well as a producer of organic products, it is necessary to specify the methods that can be used to produce organic sea salt and other organic salts and brines for food and feed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/848.
9a. Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 establishes its scope, which does not include salt, but indicates that the Regulation also applies to certain products closely linked to agriculture included in Annex I, which lists sea salt and other salts for food and feed. Article 21, Section 2b, of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 establishes that Member States may apply national production standards, provided these are consistent with the basic organic production regulation.
Based on this European legislation, and with the aim of harmonising organic salt production within the country, Spain has set itself the objective of developing national regulations that establish detailed conditions for the production of organic sea salt and other organic salts and brines for food and feed. This will boost production and strengthen legal certainty for operators, improving their market position, following in the footsteps of other countries, such as France, which have already established their national regulation. The Royal Decree therefore aims to establish detailed production standards for organic sea salt and other organic salts and brines for food and feed, complementing the principles and standards established in Regulation (EU) 2018/848, as well as the necessary requirements and conditions for this type of production.
9b. Currently, there are no detailed European standards for the production of organic sea salt and other organic salts. The European Commission presented a delegated regulation on this matter, which was adopted by the European Commission on 2 May 2023, but was subsequently rejected by the European Parliament in July of the same year.
The alternatives considered were:
- Maintaining the current situation. If this national regulation is not established, organic salt and brines produced in accordance with the general stipulations of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 could be certified, and based on private standards that, by not having a common link regarding the details of production, would generate certified productions with a high degree of heterogeneity both in production and in the degree of demand for its control, this degree of demand being the cornerstone of the organic production system.
- Waiting for the approval of a European regulation would leave the situation as described in the previous alternative, awaiting a European regulation that has already failed in the past.
Preparing the proposed draft regulation. This alternative is considered to be the most effective for achieving all of the intended objectives. Its main advantage is that it provides an up-to-date national regulation that is aligned with the general provisions of Regulation (EU) 2018/848.
9c. The establishment of the royal decree is not considered an excessive burden in relation to the objective pursued. The objective pursued is to regulate the production of organic sea salt and other organic salts and brines at the national level, and since there are currently no detailed standards for their production, neither at the national nor at the European level, it is considered necessary to establish this royal decree so that productions are regulated, thus protecting and promoting them.
The regulation has been developed in accordance with the provisions of Regulation 848/2018 (EU) on organic production and in turn with the delegated Regulation presented by the Commission in 2023 to establish detailed standards for the production of organic sea salt and other salts, which was subsequently rejected. The Royal National Decree does not intend to establish excessive burdens, with the restrictions imposed by the regulations being proportional and appropriate.
10. References to the basic texts: There are no basic texts
11. No
12.
13. No
14. No
15. Yes
16.
TBT aspects: No
SPS aspects: No
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European Commission
Contact point Directive (EU) 2015/1535
email: grow-dir2015-1535-central@ec.europa.eu
