2001R1799 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 005.001 — 1
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►B COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1799/2001
of 12 September 2001
laying down the marketing standard for citrus fruit
(OJ L 244, 14.9.2001, p. 12)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1 Commission Regulation (EC) No 453/2002 of 13 March 2002 L 72 9 14.3.2002
►M2 Commission Regulation (EC) No 2010/2002 of 12 November 2002 L 310 3 13.11.2002
►M3 Commission Regulation (EC) No 46/2003 of 10 January 2003 L 7 61 11.1.2003
►M4 Commission Regulation (EC) No 2173/2003 of 12 December 2003 L 326 10 13.12.2003
►M5 Commission Regulation (EC) No 907/2004 of 29 April 2004 L 163 50 30.4.2004
▼B
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1799/2001
of 12 September 2001
laying down the marketing standard for citrus fruit
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28 October
1996 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegeta-
bles (1), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 911/
2001 (2), and in particular Article 2(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Citrus fruit are among the products listed in Annex I to Regula-
tion (EC) No 2200/96 for which standards must be adopted.Commission Regulation (EEC) No 920/89 of 10 April 1989
laying down quality standards for carrots, citrus fruit and dessert
apples and pears and amending Commission Regulation No58 (
3), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1619/2001 (4),
has been amended frequently and can no longer ensure legalclarity.
(2) The rules in question should therefore be recast and Regulation(EEC) No 920/89 deleted. To that end and in the interests ofpreserving transparency on the world market, account should be
taken of the standard for citrus fruit recommended by the
Working Party on Standardisation of Perishable Produce andQuality Development of the United Nations Economic Commis-sion for Europe (UN/ECE).
(3) Application of this standard should remove products of unsatis-factory quality from the market, bring production into line withconsumer requirements and facilitate trade based on fair compe-tition, thereby helping to improve profitability.
(4) The standards are applicable at all marketing stages. Long-distance transport, storage over a certain period and the variousprocesses the products undergo may cause certain deterioration
owing to the biological development of the products or their
relatively perishable nature. Account should be taken of suchdeterioration when applying the standard at the marketing stagesfollowing dispatch. As products in the ‘Extra’ class have to beparticularly carefully sorted and packaged, only lack of freshness
and turgidity is to be taken into account in their case.
(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 the following products shall be as set out in
the Annex:
— sweet oranges, falling within CN code ex 0805 10,
— mandarins (including tangerines and satsumas), clementines, wilk-
ings and similar citrus hybrids, falling within CN code 0805 20,
— lemons ( Citrus limon, Citrus limonum ) falling within CN code
0805 50 10.2001R1799 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 005.001 — 2
(1) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 129, 11.5.2001, p. 3.
(3) OJ L 97, 11.4.1989, p. 19.
(4) OJ L 215, 9.8.2001, p. 3.▼M1
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This standard shall apply at all marketing stages, under the conditions
laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2200/96.
However, at stages following dispatch, the products may show in rela-
tion to the provisions of the standard:
— a slight lack of freshness and turgidity,
— for products graded in classes other than the ‘Extra’ class, slight
deteriorations due to their development and their tendency to perish.
Article 2
Regulation (EEC) No 920/89 is repealed.
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 the first day of the third month following its entry
into force.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable
in all Member States.2001R1799 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 005.001 — 3
▼B
ANNEX
STANDARD FOR CITRUS FRUIT
I. DEFINITION OF PRODUCE
This standard applies to the following fruit, classified as ‘citrus fruit’, to be
supplied fresh to the consumer, citrus fruit for industrial processing being
excluded:
— lemons of varieties (cultivars) grown from the species Citrus limon (L.)
Burm. f.,
— mandarins of varieties (cultivars) grown from the species Citrus reticu-
lata Blanco, including satsumas ( Citrus unshiu Marcow.), clementines
(Citrus clementina Hort. ex Tan.), common mandarins ( Citrus deliciosa
Ten.) and tangerines ( Citrus tangerina Hort. ex Tan.) grown from these
species and its hybrids, hereinafter called ‘mandarins’,
— oranges of varieties (cultivars) grown from the species Citrus sinensis
(L.) Osb.
II. PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITY
The purpose of the standard is to define the quality requirements of the
citrus fruit after preparation and packaging.
A.Minimum requirements
In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the
tolerances allowed, the citrus fruit must be:
— intact,
— free of bruising and/or extensive healed over cuts,— sound; produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make
it unfit for consumption is excluded,
— clean practically free of any visible foreign matter,— practically free from pests,— practically free from damage caused by pests,
— free of signs of internal shrivelling,
— free of damage caused by low temperature or frost,— free of all abnormal external moisture,— free of any foreign smell and/or taste.
The citrus fruit must have been carefully picked and have reached an
appropriate degree of development and ripeness account being taken of
criteria proper to the variety, the time of picking and the growing area.
The development and state of ripeness of the citrus fruit must be such as
to enable them:
— to withstand transport and handling, and
— to arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.
Citrus fruit meeting the ripeness requirements of this Annex may be
‘degreened’. This treatment is permitted only if the other natural orga-
noleptic characteristics are not modified.
B.Maturity requirements
Maturity of citrus fruit is defined by the following parameters specified
for each specie below:
1. Minimum juice content
2. Colouring
The degree of colouring shall be such that, following normal develop-
ment the citrus fruit reach the colour typical of the variety at their
destination point.
(i) Lemons
— Minimum juice content:
— Verdelli and Primofiore lemons: 20 %
— Other lemons: 25 %2001R1799 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 005.001 — 4
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— Colouring: must be typical of the variety. However fruits with a
green (but not dark green) colour are allowed provided they
satisfy the minimum requirements as to juice content.
(ii) Mandarins
— Minimum juice content:
— Mandarins, excluding Clementines: 33 %
— Clementines: 40 %
— Colouring: must be typical of the variety on at least one third of
the surface of the fruit.
(iii) Oranges
Colouring must be typical of the variety. Fruits with light green
colour are allowed, provided it does not exceed one fifth of the
total surface of the fruit. Fruits must show the following minimum
juice content:
— Blood oranges: 30 %
— Navels group: 33 %
— Other varieties: 35 %
However, oranges produced in areas with high air temperatures and
high relative humidity conditions during the developing period can
be of a green colour exceeding one fifth of the total surface area,
provided they satisfy the following minimum juice content:
— Varieties Mosambi, Sathgudi and Pacitan: 33 %
— Other varieties: 45 %
C.Classification
Citrus fruit are classified in three classes defined below:
(i) ‘Extra’ Class
Citrus fruit in this class must be of superior quality. In shape,
external appearance, development and colouring they must be char-
acteristic of the variety and/or commercial type.
They must be free from defects with the exception of very slight
superficial defects, provided these do not affect the general appear-
ance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality and
presentation in the package.
(ii) Class I
Citrus fruit in this class must be of good quality. They must be
characteristic of the variety and/or commercial type.
The following slight defects, however, may be allowed provided
these do not affect the general appearance of the produce, the
quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package:
— slight defect in shape,
— slight defect in colouring,
— slight skin defects occurring during the formation of the fruit,
such as silver scurfs, russets, etc.,
— slight healed defects due to a mechanical cause such as hail
damage, rubbing, damage from handling, etc.
(iii) Class II
This class includes citrus fruit which do not qualify for inclusion in
the higher classes but satisfy the minimum requirements specified
above.2001R1799 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 005.001 — 5
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The following defects may be allowed, provided the citrus fruit
retain their essential characteristics as regards the quality, the
keeping quality and presentation:
— defect in shape,
— defect in colouring,— rough skin,— skin defects occurring during the formation of the fruit, such as
silver scurfs, russets, etc.,
— healed defects due to a mechanical cause such as hail damage,
rubbing, damage from handling, etc.,
— superficial healed skin alterations,— slight and partial detachment of the pericarp for oranges (which
is allowed for mandarins).
III. PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZING
Size is determined by the maximum diameter of the equatorial section of
the fruit.
A.Minimum size
Fruits of less than the following minimum sizes are excluded:
Lemons: 45 mm
Mandarins, excluding clementines: 45 mmClementines: 35 mm
Oranges: 53 mm
B.Size scales
The scales of sizes are as follows:
Oranges Lemons Mandarins
Size codeDiameter
(mm)Size codeDiameter
(mm)Size codeDiameter
(mm)
0 92-110 0 79-90 1-XXX 78 and
above
1 87-100 1 72-83 1-XX 67-78
2 84-96 2 68-78 ►M2 1o r
1-X◄63-74
3 81-92 3 63-72 2 58-69
4 77-88 4 58-67 3 54-64
5 73-84 5 53-62 4 50-60
6 70-80 6 48-57 5 46-56
7 67-76 7 45-52 6 (1) 43-52
8 64-73 7 41-48
9 62-70 8 39-46
10 60-68 9 37-44
11 58-66 10 35-42
12 56-63
13 53-60
(1) Issue for the quantity applied for.
Citrus fruit may be packed by count. In this case, provided the size
uniformity required in Title III, point C, is retained, the size range in
the package may fall outside a single size code, but within two adjacent
codes.2001R1799 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 005.001 — 6
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C.Uniformity
Uniformity in size is achieved by the abovementioned size scales, unless
otherwise stated as follows:
(i) for fruit arranged in regular layers, in packages or in unit consumer
packages, the difference between the smallest and the largest fruit
in the same package, within a single size code or, in the case of
citrus fruit packed by count, within two adjacent codes, must not
exceed the following maxima:
Size codesMaximum difference
between fruit in the
same package
(in mm)
Lemons 0 to 7 7
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Mandarins
◄►M4
1-XXX-4
5t o6
7t o1 0
◄►M4
9
87
◄
Oranges 0 to 2
3t o6
7t o1 311
9
7
(ii) for fruit not arranged in regular layers, in packages or in rigid unit
consumer packages, the difference between the smallest and the
largest fruit in the same package must not exceed the range of the
appropriate size grade in the size scale, or, in the case of citrus fruit
packed by count, the range in mm of one of the two adjacent codes
concerned;
(iii) for fruit in bulk bins and fruit in non-rigid (nets, bags, etc.) unit
consumer packages, the maximum size difference between the
smallest and the largest fruit in the same lot or package must not
exceed the range obtained by grouping three consecutive sizes in
the size scale.
IV. PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCES
Tolerances in respect of quality and size shall be allowed in each package
for produce not satisfying the requirements of the class indicated.
A.Quality tolerances
(i) ‘Extra’ Class
5 % by number or weight of citrus fruit not satisfying the require-
ments of the class, but meeting those of Class I or, exceptionally,
coming within the tolerances of that class.
(ii) Class I
10 % by number or weight of citrus fruit not satisfying the require-
ments of the class, but meeting those of Class II, or exceptionally,
coming within the tolerances of that class.
(iii) Class II
10 % by number or weight of citrus fruit satisfying neither the
requirements of the class, nor the minimum requirements, with the
exception of produce affected by rotting or any other deterioration
rendering it unfit for consumption. Within this tolerance, a
maximum of 5 % is allowed of fruit showing slight superficial
unhealed damage, dry cuts or soft and shrivelled fruit.
B.Size tolerances
For all classes and types of presentation: 10 % by number or weight of
citrus fruit corresponding to the size immediately below and/or above2001R1799 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 005.001 — 7
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that (or those, in the case of the combination of three sizes) mentioned
on the packages is allowed.
In any case, the tolerance of 10 % applies only to fruit not smaller than
the following minima:
Lemons: 43 mm
Mandarins, excluding clementines: 43 mm
Clementines: 34 mmOranges: 50 mm
V. PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATION
A.Uniformity
The contents of each package must be uniform and contain only citrus
fruit of the same origin, variety or commercial type, quality, and size,
and appreciably of the same degree of ripeness and development.
In addition, for the ‘Extra’ Class, uniformity in colouring is required.The visible part of the contents of the package must be representative of
the entire contents.
Notwithstanding the preceding provisions in this point, products covered
by this Regulation may be mixed, in sales packages of a net weight of
less than three kilograms, with different types of fresh fruit and vegeta-
bles on the conditions laid down by Commission Regulation (EC) No
48/2003 (
1).
B.Packaging
The citrus fruit must be packed in such a way as to protect the produce
properly.
The materials used inside the package must be new, clean and of a
quality such as to avoid causing any external or internal damage to the
produce. The use of materials, particularly of paper or stamps bearing
trade specifications is allowed provided the printing or labelling has
been done with non-toxic ink or glue.
If the fruit are wrapped, thin, dry, new and odourless (2) paper must be
used.
The use of any substance tending to modify the natural characteristics of
the citrus fruit, especially its taste or smell (2), is prohibited.
Packages must be free of all foreign matter. However, a presentation
where a short (not wooden) twig with some green leaves adheres to the
fruit is allowed.
Stickers individually affixed on product shall be such as, when removed,
neither to leave visible traces of glue, nor to lead to skin defects.
C.Presentation
The citrus fruit may be presented:
(a) arranged in regular layers in packages;
(b) not arranged in regular layers in packages or in bulk bins. This
presentation is only allowed for Classes I and II;
(c) in individual packages for direct sale to the consumer of a weight
less than 5 kg either
— made up by number of fruit, or
— made up by net weight of the package.2001R1799 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 005.001 — 8
(1) OJ L 7, 11.1.2003, p. 65.
(2) The use of preserving agents or any other chemical substance liable to leave a foreign
smell on the skin of the fruit is permitted where it is compatible with the regulations of
the importing country.▼M3
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VI. PROVISIONS CONCERNING MARKING
Each package must bear the following particulars, in letters grouped on the
same side, legibly and indelibly marked, and visible from the outside.
A.Identification
The name and the address of the packer and/or the dispatcherThis mention may be replaced:
— for all packages with the exception of pre-packages, by the officially
issued or accepted code mark representing the packer and/or the
dispatcher, indicated in close connection with the reference ‘Packer
and/or Dispatcher’ (or equivalent abbreviations);
— for pre-packages only, by the name and the address of a seller estab-
lished within the Community indicated in close connection with the
mention ‘Packed for:’ or an equivalent mention. In this case, the
labelling shall also include a code representing the packer and/or
the dispatcher. The seller shall give all information deemed neces-
sary by the inspection body as to the meaning of this code.
B.Nature of produce
— Name of the species if the produce is not visible from the outside,
except for mandarins for which the name of the specie or variety
(where applicable) is compulsory,
— Name of the variety, for oranges,— Name of the type:
— for lemons: the indication ‘Verdelli’ and ‘Primofiore’ where
appropriate,
— for clementines: the indication ‘Clementines, pipless’, ‘Clemen-
tines’ (1 to 10 pips), ‘Clementines with pips’ (more than 10
pips) where appropriate.
C.Origin of produce
— Country of origin and, optionally, district where grown, or national,
regional or local place name.
D.Commercial specifications
— Class.
— Size code for fruit presented in accordance with the size scale or the
upper and the lower limiting size code in the case of three consecu-
tive sizes of the size scale.
— Size code (or, when fruit packed by count fall under two adjacent
codes, size codes or minimum and maximum diameter) and number
of fruit, in the case of fruit arranged in layers in the package.
— When used, mention of the preserving agent or other chemical
substances used at post-harvest stage.
E.Official control mark (optional)
Packages need not to bear the particulars mentioned in the first subpara-
graph, when they contain sales packages, clearly visible from the outside,
and all bearing these particulars. These packages shall be free from any
indications such as could mislead. When these packages are palletised, the
particulars shall be given on a notice placed in an obvious position on at
least two sides of the pallet.2001R1799 — EN — 20.05.2004 — 005.001 — 9
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