1979R2968 — EN — 01.01.1988 — 001.001 — 1
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►B COMMISSIONREGULATION(EEC)No2968/79
of20December 1979
laying down detailed rules for the provision of administrative assistance in connection with the
export of soft ripened cow's milk cheeses eligible for special treatment on import into a non-
member country
(OJ L 336, 29.12.1979, p. 25)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1Commission Regulation (EEC) no 222/88 of 22 December 1987 L 28 1 1.2.1988
▼B
COMMISSIONREGULATION(EEC)No2968/79
of20December 1979
layingdowndetailedrulesfortheprovisionofadministrativeassis-
tance in connection with the export of soft ripened cow's milkcheeseseligibleforspecialtreatmentonimportintoanon-member
country
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European EconomicCommunity,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2931/79 of 20
December 1979 on the granting of assistance on export of agriculturalproductswhich may benefit from a s pecial import treatment in a thirdcountry(
1), and in particular Article 1 (2) thereof,
Whereasthe USA hasagreed in the context of GATT to allow imports
of soft ripened cow's milk cheeses free of any quantitative restrictions;whereasthismeas ure will apply from 1 January 1980;
Whereas the Community has undertaken to grant administrative assis-
tance to the authoritiesof the USA to ens ure correct application of theagreement; whereas to this end the cheeses concerned should be
accompanied by a certificate issued by the competent authorities in
the Community;
Whereasthe meas uresprovided for in thisRegulation are in accor-
dance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Milk andMilk Products,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
On the export to the USA, including Puerto Rico, of soft ripened cows'
milk cheeses, produced in the Community and complying with thedefinition set out in Annex I hereto, a certificate corresponding to thespecimen set out in Annex II shall be issued at the request of the
person concerned.
Article 2
1. Certificates shall be printed on white paper and in English. Their
size shall be 210 × 297 mm. Each certificate shall be given a serialnumber by the issuing agency.
The exporting Member State may require that the certificate to be used
on its territory shall in addition to English be printed in one of its offi-
cial languages.
2. Certificates shall be made out in one original and at least two
copies. These copies shall bear the same serial number as the original.The original and copies shall be completed either in typescript or inmanuscript; in the latter case, they shall be completed in block letters
and in ink.
Article 3
1. The certificate and copies thereof shall be issued by the agency
designated by each Member State.
2. The issuing agency shall keep one copy of the certificate. The
original and the other copy shall be produced to the customs officewhere customs export formalities for export to the USA are completed.1979R2968 — EN — 01.01.1988 — 001.001 — 2
(1) OJ No L 334, 28. 12. 1979, p. 8.▼M1
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3. The customs office referred to in paragraph 2 shall complete the
box reserved for its use on the original and return it to the personconcerned. The copy shall be kept by that customs office.
Article 4
The certificate shall be valid only after endorsement by the competent
customs office. It shall cover the quantity indicated thereon. However,
a quantity exceeding by not more than 5 % the quantity indicated onthe certificate shall be regarded as covered by that quantity.
Article 5
Member States shall take whatever measures may be necessary for the
purpose of checking the origin, type, composition and quality of thecheeses in respect of which certificates are issued.
Article 6
ThisRegulation s hall enter into force on 1 January 1980.
ThisRegulation s hall be binding in itsentirety and directly applicable
in all Member States.1979R2968 — EN — 01.01.1988 — 001.001 — 3
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ANNEX I
DEFINITIONOFSOFTRIPENEDCOW'SMILKCHEESES
1. Soft ripened cheese is cured or ripened by biological curing agents, such as
molds, yeasts and other organisms which have formed a prominent crust on
the surface of the cheese. The curing or ripening is conducted so that the
cheese visibly cures or ripens from the surface towards the centre. Fat
content in the dry matter is not less than 50 %. Moisture content calculated
by weight of the non-fatty matter isnot les sthan 65 %.
The term soft ripened cheese does not include cheeses with mold yeasts and
other organisms on the surface which also contain mold, blue or otherwise,
distributed throughout the interior of the cheese.
2. The following non-comprehensive list is given for illustrative purposes only
to show certain types of cheeses which normally comply with the definition
given in paragraph 1:
— Bibress,
— Brie,— Camembert,— Cambré,
— Carré de l'Est,
— Chaource,— Coulommiers,— Epoise,— Herve,— Limbourg,— Livarot,— Maroilles,— Munster from France and Germany along both sides of the Rhine,
— Pont-l'Evêque,
— Reblochon,— St Marcellin— Taleggio.
NB.The cheeses listed above must meet the definition indicated in order to be
considered soft ripened.1979R2968 — EN — 01.01.1988 — 001.001 — 4
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ANNEX II1979R2968 — EN — 01.01.1988 — 001.001 — 5

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1979R2968 — EN — 01.01.1988 — 001.001 — 6