. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/EEC/210 
15 August 2008 
 (08-3880) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   European Commission 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:    
European Commission 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point Fax:  +(32) 2 299 80 43 E-mail:  ec-tbt@ec.europa.eu
 
Website:  http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/  
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):   Fresh fruit and 
vegetables (ICS: 67) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Commission 
Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007 laying down implementing rules of 
Council Regulations (EC) No 2200/96, (EC)  No 2201/96 and (EC) No 1182/2007 in the 
fruit and vegetable sector for, as regards mark eting standards (107 pages, in English). 
6. Description of content:    
This draft introduces the new implementing rules regarding marketing standards and 
associated checks, following the reform of Common Market Organisation in the fruit and 
vegetables sector. In particular, this proposal: 
• introduces a definition of "sound, fair and of marketable quality" corresponding to a 
 general marketing standard for all fresh fruit and vegetables, including the 
 specification that the full name of the country  of origin must be labelled for all fresh 
 fruit and vegetables, 
• reduces the number of specific marketing standards from 36 to 10, • simplifies and rationalises the checking operations. This proposal will lead to a 
 significant reduction of administrative bur den for inspection and customs services 
 and will facilitate the work of approved exporters and importers. G/TBT/N/EEC/210 
Page 2  
 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Simplification of the Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007 
8. Relevant documents:   Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriSe rv.do?uri=OJ:L:2007:350:0001:0098:EN:PDF  
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   October 2008 
Three days from publication in the Official Journal 
of the EU (about a month after adoption approx.) 
10. Final date for comments:   60 days from date of notification 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [    ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
European Commission 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point 
Fax: +(32) 2 299 80 43 E-mail:  ec-tbt@ec.europa.eu
 
The text is available on the EC-TBT Website: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/  
and 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2008/TBT/eec/08_2478_00_e.pdf