2001R0912 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 001.001 — 1
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►B COMMISSIONREGULATION(EC)No912/2001
of10May2001
layingdownthemarketingstandardforbeans
(OJ L 129, 11.5.2001, p. 4)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1Commission Regulation (EC) No 46/2003 of 10 January 2003 L 7 61 11.1.2003
▼B
COMMISSIONREGULATION(EC)No912/2001
of10May2001
layingdownthemarketingstandardforbeans
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)Beans are listed in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 as
products for which standards are to be adopted. Regulation No58 of the Commission laying down common quality standardsfor certain products listed in Annex I B to Regulation No 23 onthe progressive establishment of a common organisation of themarket in fruit and vegetables (
3), as last amended by Regulation
(EC) No 2561/1999 (4), has been the subject of multiple amend-
ments and no longer ensures legal clarity.
(2)The rules in question should therefore be recast and RegulationNo 58 repealed. To that end, for reasons of transparency on the
world market, account should be taken of the standard for beans
recommended by the Working Party on Standardisation ofPerishable Produce and Quality Development of the UnitedNations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE).
(3)Applying these standards should result in products of unsatisfac-
tory quality being removed from the market, bringing production
into line with consumer requirements and facilitating trade rela-tionships based on fair competition, thereby helping improve theprofitability of production.
(4)The standards are applicable at all stages of marketing. Trans-portation over long distances, storage for a certain length oftime or handling operations may bring about deterioration dueto the biological development of the products or their tendencyto perish. Account should be taken of such deterioration whenapplying the standards at the marketing stages which follow
dispatch. Since products in the ‘Extra’ class must be sorted and
packaged with particular care, only lack of freshness andturgidity 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 standards for beans falling within CN code 0708 20
shall be as set out in the Annex.
The standard shall apply at all stages of marketing 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, and2001R0912 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 001.001 — 2
(1) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 1.
(2) See page 3 of this Official Journal.
(3) OJ 56, 7.7.1962, p. 1606/62.
(4) OJ L 310, 4.12.1999, p. 7.
▼B
— for products graded in classes other than the ‘Extra’ class, slight
deterioration due to their development and their tendency to perish.
Article 2
Regulation No 58 is repealed.
Article 3
This Regulation shall enter into force on the third 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.2001R0912 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 001.001 — 3
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ANNEX
STANDARDFORBEANS
I. DEFINITION OF PRODUCE
This standard applies to beans of varieties (cultivars) grown from Phaseolus
vulgaris L . andPhaseolus coccineus L . to be supplied fresh to the
consumer, beans for shelling or industrial processing being excluded.
II. PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITY
The purpose of the standard is to define the quality requirements for beans
after preparation and packaging.
A.Minimumrequirements
In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the
tolerances allowed, the beans must be:
— intact (1),
— 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,
— fresh in appearance,
— free from parchment (hard endoderm),
— practically free from pests,— practically free from damage caused by pests,
— free of abnormal external moisture,
— free of any foreign smell and/or taste.
The development and condition of beans must be such as to enable
them:
— to withstand transport and handling, and
— to arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.
B.Classification
Beans are classified in three classes defined below.
(i)‘Extra’ class
Beans in this class must be of superior quality. In shape, develop-
ment and colouring, they must be characteristic of the variety and/
or commercial type.
They must be:
— turgid, easily snapped,
— very tender,
— practically straight,
— stringless.
Seeds, if present must be small and soft. However, needle beans
must be seedless.
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
Beans in this class must be of good quality. In shape, development
and colouring, they must be characteristic of the variety and/or
commercial type.
They must be:
— turgid,
— young and tender,
— practically stringless except in the case of beans for slicing.2001R0912 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 001.001 — 4
(1) Due to harvesting of beans (excluding needle beans) a degree of damage is permitted at
the stalk end only according to the tolerances laid down.
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Seeds, if present, must be small and soft.
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 defect.
(iii)Class II
This class includes beans which do not qualify for inclusion in the
higher classes but satisfy the minimum requirements specified
above.
They must be:
— reasonable tender,
— free from rust spots in the case of needle beans.
Seeds, if present, should not be too large and must be reasonably
soft.
The following defects may be allowed provided the beans retain
their essential characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping
quality and presentation:
— defects in shape,
— defects in colouring,— skin defects,— strings,— slight rust spots except in the case of needle beans.
III. PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZING
Size is determined by the maximum width of the pod measured at right
angles to the seam.
Sizing is compulsory for needle beans only, in accordance with the
following classification:
— very fine: width of the pod not exceeding 6 mm,
— fine: width of the pod not exceeding 9 mm,
— medium: width of the pod not exceeding 12 mm.
Medium needle beans may not be placed in the ‘Extra’ class.
IV. PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCES
Tolerances in respect of quality and size (if sized) shall be allowed in each
package for produce not satisfying the requirements of the class indicated.
A.Qualitytolerances
(i)Extra class
5 % by number or weight of beans not satisfying the requirements
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 beans not satisfying the requirements
of the class, but meeting those of Class II or, exceptionally, coming
within the tolerances of that class. Within this tolerance, a
maximum of 5 % by number or weight may have strings in the
case of a variety and/or commercial type which should be string-
less.
In addition not more than a maximum of 15 % by number or
weight of beans (excluding needle beans) may have the stalk and
a small section of the narrow part of the neck missing, provided
these pods remain closed, dry and not discoloured.
(iii)Class II
10 % by number or weight of beans satisfying neither the require-
ments of the class nor the minimum requirements, with the2001R0912 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 001.001 — 5
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exception of produce affected by Colletotrichum lindemuthianum
(bean spot disease), rotting or any other deterioration rendering it
unfit for consumption.
In addition not more than a maximum of 30 % by number or
weight of beans (excluding needle beans) may have the stalk and
a small section of the narrow part of the neck missing, provided
these pods remain closed, dry and not discoloured.
B.Sizetolerances
For all classes (if sized): 10 % by number or weight of beans not satis-
fying the requirements as regards sizing.
V. PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATION
A.Uniformity
The contents of each package must be uniform and contain only beans
of the same origin, variety or commercial type, quality and size (if
sized).
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
Beans 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.
Packages must be free of all foreign matter.
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
Packer and/or dispatcher: name and address or officially issued or
accepted code mark. However, where a code mark is used, the reference
‘packer and/or dispatcher’ (or equivalent abbreviations) has to be indi-
cated in close proximity to the code mark.
B.Natureofproduce
— ‘Beans’ and/or commercial type if the contents are not visible from
the outside.
— Name of the variety (optional).
C.Origin ofproduce
— Country of origin and, optionally, district where grown, or national,
regional or local place name.
D.Commercial specifications
— Class.
— Size:
— for needle beans indicated by the words ‘very fine’, ‘fine’ or
‘medium’;2001R0912 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 001.001 — 6
(1) OJ L 7, 11.1.2003, p. 65.▼M1
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— for other beans (if sized) indicated by the minimum and
maximum width of the pod.
E.Official controlmark (optional)2001R0912 — EN — 31.01.2003 — 001.001 — 7