Feed materials and feed additives intended to reduce methane emissions from dairy cattle.

Order on the approval and authorisation, etc. of livestock farms (the Livestock Approval Order)

As part of the efforts in Denmark to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 by 70 % compared with 1990levels set out in the Danish Climate Act, sections 40 and 41 of the Livestock Approval Order are intended tolay down a requirement to reduce methane from dairy cows' digestion systems on livestock farms with morethan 50 year-cows.

The reduction requirement can be met by the use of the feed material fatty acid and feed additives approvedby the EU and containing the active substance 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP). The reduction requirement isexpressed as the minimum requirement for the allocation of the feed in question to the daily feed intakemeasured in kilograms of dry matter. The minimum requirements are set on the basis of the reduction effectthat, under Danish conditions, can be achieved by increasing the fat content of the animal feed, which willmean a 6.5% reduction per animal on average.
The intention is to amend the Order on an ongoing basis as relevant minimum requirements can be laid downunder Danish conditions for the allocation of other methane-reducing feed materials or feed additives approvedby the EU to the daily feed intake, measured in kilograms of dry matter, in order to achieve the expectedreduction effect of 6.5%.
At the same time, however, in the case of feed materials, it will be necessary to assess whether the intendedsystematic use of the material in question in order to achieve the desired reduction effect may have negativeside effects on the health of dairy cows, on consumer safety or on the environment.
The Danish authorities assess that the proposed rules do not, in general, constitute an obstacle to the freemovement of goods within the meaning of Articles 34-36 of TFEU, as it will be possible to place feed additivescontaining the active substance 3-NOP approved for use in the EU on the Danish market without restrictions,even if they cannot be used to meet the required reduction requirements. The same applies to feed materialswhich can be placed on the Danish market, regardless of whether they have been produced in Denmark or inanother EU country.