Commission Regulation (EC) No 1508/2001
of 24 July 2001
laying down the marketing standard for onions and amending Regulation (EEC) No 2213/83
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2200/96 of 28 October 1996 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables(1), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 911/2001(2), and in particular Article 2(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Onions are among the products listed in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 for which standards must be adopted. Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2213/83 of 28 July 1983 laying down quality standards for onions and witloof chicory(3), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2390/97(4), has been amended and can no longer ensure legal clarity.
(2) In the interest of clarity, the rules on onions should be separated from those on other products under Regulation (EEC) No 2213/83. The rules in question should therefore be recast and Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2213/83 should be repealed. To that end, and in the interest of preserving transparency on the world market, account should be taken of the standard for onions recommended by the Working Party on Standardisation of Perishable Produce and Quality Development of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE).
(3) Application of these standards should remove products of unsatisfactory quality from the market, bring production into line with consumer requirements and facilitate trade based on fair competition, thereby helping to improve profitability.
(4) The standards are applicable at all marketing stages. Long-distance transport, storage over a certain period and the various processes the products undergo may cause some degree of deterioration owing to the biological development of the products or their perishable nature. Account should be taken of such deterioration when applying the standard at the marketing stages following dispatch.
(5) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
The marketing standard for onions, falling within CN code 0703 10 19, shall be as set out in the Annex.
This standard shall apply at all marketing stages, under the conditions laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2200/96.
However, at stages following dispatch, products may show in relation to the requirements of the standard a slight lack of freshness and turgidity, as well as slight deterioration due to their development and their perishable nature.
Article 2
Regulation (EEC) No 2213/83 is amended as follows:
1. In the title, the words "onions and" are deleted.
2. Article 1(1) is replaced by the following: "1. The marketing standard for witloof chicory, falling within CN code 0705 21 00, shall be as set out in the Annex to this Regulation."
3. Annex I is deleted.
4. In Annex II, the title is replaced by the following title: "Annex".
Article 3
This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
It shall apply from 1 January 2002.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 24 July 2001.