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COMMISSION REGULATION (EEC) No 79/88
of 13 January 1988
laying down quality standards for lettuces, curled-leaved endives, broad-leaved (Batavian) endives and sweet peppers
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72 of 18 May 1972 on the common organization of the market in fruit and vegetables (1), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3910/87 (2), and in particular Article 2 (3) thereof,
Whereas the quality standards for lettuces, curled-leaved endives and broad-leaved (Batavian) endives are laid down in Annex II/5 of Commission Regulation No 23 on the progressive establishment of a common organization of the market in fruit and vegetables (3); whereas those standards were amended by Regulation No 51/65/EEC (4);
Whereas Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2397/76 (5) lays down quality standards for sweet peppers;
Whereas a change has occurred in the production and marketing of these products, particularly as regards the requirements of consumer and wholesale markets; whereas the common quality standards for lettuces, curled-leaved endives, broad-leaved (Batavian) endives and sweet peppers should therefore be changed to take those new requirements into account;
Whereas in the case of lettuces, curled-leaved endives, broad-leaved (Batavian) endives, such changes entail alteration of the definition of the supplementary quality class as laid down by Council Regulation (EEC) No 1194/69 (6) as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 897/77 (7) whereas account should be taken, in defining that class, of the economic importance to producers of the products concerned and of the need to meet consumer requirements;
Whereas the standards are applicable at all stages of marketing; whereas transportation over a long distance, storage for a certain length of time or the various handling operations may bring about deterioration due to the biological development of the products or their tendency to perish; whereas, therefore, account should be taken of such deterioration when applying the standards of marketing stages following dispatch;
Whereas in the interests of clarity and certainty as to legal requirements and for ease of use the standards thus changed should be consolidated in a single text;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fruit and Vegetables,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
The quality standards for lettuces, curled-leaved endives and broad-leaved (Batavian) endives falling within subheadings 0705 11 and 0705 29 00 of the combined nomenclature and for sweet peppers falling within subheading 0709 60 10 of the combined nomenclature are set out in Annexes I and II respectively.
Those standards shall apply at all marketing stages, under the conditions laid down in Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72.
However, at stages following dispatch the products may show, in relation to the standards prescribed a slight lack of freshness and turgescence and slight alteration due to their biological development and their tendency to perish.
Article 2
Regulation No 23 is hereby amended as follows:
- in Article 2 (3) the words 'lettuces, curled-leaved endives and broad-leaved (Batavian) endives' are deleted;
- Annex II/5 is deleted.
Article 3
Regulation (EEC) No 1194/69 is hereby amended as follows:
- in Article 1, the words 'lettuces, curled-leaved endives and broad-leaved (Batavian) endives' are deleted;
- Annex I is deleted.
Article 4
Regulation (EEC) No 2397/76 is hereby repealed.
Article 5
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 July 1988.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 13 January 1988.