COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2472/97 of 11 December 1997 amending Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 on the characteristics of olive oil and olive-residue oil and on the relevant methods of analysis and Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation No 136/66/EEC of 22 September 1966 on the establishment of a common organization of the market in oils and fats (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1581/96 (2), and in particular Article 35a thereof,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 of 23 July 1987 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff (3), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2308/97 (4), and in particular Article 9 thereof,
Whereas Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 (5), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2527/95 (6), defines the characteristics of olive oil and olive-residue oil and the relevant methods of analysis; whereas Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 also amends Additional Notes 2, 3 and 4 to Chapter 15 of the combined nomenclature contained in Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87;
Whereas, because of developments in research, the characteristics of olive oil as defined in Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 should be amended so as better to ensure the purity of the products marketed and the relevant method of analysis should be defined;
Whereas in order to take into account developments in extraction techniques, in particular two-phase extraction, and continue the process of harmonization with the international standards laid down by the International Olive Oil Council, certain limits concerning the characteristics of olive oil and olive-residue oil should be adjusted;
Whereas the changes to the characteristics of olive oil referred to above require the amendment of Additional Notes 2, 3 and 4 to Chapter 15 of the combined nomenclature;
Whereas, to allow a period of adjustment to the new standards and the introduction of the means needed to apply them and to avoid disturbance to trade, the entry into force of this Regulation should be deferred for approximately two months and provision should be made for oil packaged prior to its entry into force to be disposed of during a limited period;
Whereas, therefore, Regulations (EEC) No 2658/87 and (EEC) No 2568/91 should be amended;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Oils and Fats,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 is amended as follows:
1. in Article 2, the following indent is added:
'- for determining the content of triglycerides with ECN42, the method set out in Annex XVIII.`;
2. the Annexes are amended in accordance with Annex I hereto.
Article 2
Additional Notes 2, 3 and 4 to Chapter 15 of the combined nomenclature contained in Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 are replaced by the text set out in Annex II hereto.
Article 3
This Regulation shall enter into force on the 60th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
It shall not apply to olive oil and olive-residue oil packaged prior to the date of its entry into force and marketed up to the end of the 10th month following the said entry into force.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 11 December 1997.