Commission Decision

of 15 October 2003

amending Decision 97/296/EC drawing up the list of third countries from which the import of fishery products is authorised for human consumption, with respect to Cape Verde, Belize, French Polynesia, the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands Antilles

(notified under document number C(2003) 3666)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2003/764/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Decision 95/408/EC of 22 June 1995 on the conditions for drawing up, for an interim period, provisional lists of third country establishments from which Member States are authorised to import certain products of animal origin, fishery products or live bivalve molluscs(1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 806/2003(2), and in particular Article 2(2) and (3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Commission Decision 97/296/EC(3), as last amended by Decision 2003/606/EC(4), lists the countries and territories from which importation of fishery products for human consumption is authorised. Part I of the Annex to Decision 97/296/EC lists the names of the countries and territories covered by a specific decision pursuant to Directive 91/493/EEC(5) and part II names those qualifying under Article 2(2) of Decision 95/408/EC.

(2) Commission Decisions 2003/763/EC(6), 2003/759/EC(7), 2003/760/EC(8), 2003/761/EC(9) and 2003/762/EC(10) set specific import conditions for fishery products originating in Cape Verde, Belize, French Polynesia, the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands Antilles, respectively. These countries should therefore be added to the list in part I of the Annex to Decision 97/296/EC.

(3) Decision 97/296/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(4) This Decision should take effect on the same day as Decisions 2003/759/EC, 2003/760/EC, 2003/761/EC and 2003/762/EC as regard the import of fishery products from Belize, French Polynesia, United Arab Emirates and Netherlands Antilles.

(5) As regard the import of fishery products from Cape Verde this Decision should take effect on the same day as Decision 2003/763/EC, since there is no need for a transitional period.

(6) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The Annex to Decision 97/296/EC is replaced by the text in the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2

This Decision shall apply from 8 December 2003 as regards the imports of fishery products from Belize, French Polynesia, the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands Antilles.

This Decision shall apply from 27 October 2003 as regards the import of fishery products from Cape Verde.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 15 October 2003.

For the Commission

David Byrne

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 243, 11.10.1995, p. 17.

(2) OJ L 122, 16.5.2003, p. 1.

(3) OJ L 122, 14.5.1997, p. 21.

(4) OJ L 210, 20.8.2003, p. 16.

(5) OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 15.

(6) See page 38 of this Official Journal.

(7) See page 18 of this Official Journal.

(8) See page 23 of this Official Journal.

(9) See page 28 of this Official Journal.

(10) See page 33 of this Official Journal.

ANNEX

"ANNEX

List of countries and territories from which importation of fishery products in any form intended for human consumption is authorised

I. Countries and territories covered by a specific decision pursuant to Directive 91/493/EEC

AE- UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

AL- ALBANIA

AN- NETHERLANDS ANTILLES

AR- ARGENTINA

AU- AUSTRALIA

BD- BANGLADESH

BG- BULGARIA

BR- BRAZIL

BZ- BELIZE

CA- CANADA

CH- SWITZERLAND

CI- CÔTE D'IVOIRE

CL- CHILE

CN- CHINA

CO- COLOMBIA

CR- COSTA RICA

CU- CUBA

CV- CAPE VERDE

CZ- CZECH REPUBLIC

EC- ECUADOR

EE- ESTONIA

FK- FALKLAND I.

GA- GABON

GH- GHANA

GL- GREENLAND

GM- GAMBIA

GN- GUINEA CONAKRY

GT- GUATEMALA

HN- HONDURAS

HR- CROATIA

ID- INDONESIA

IN- INDIA

IR- IRAN

JM- JAMAICA

JP- JAPAN

KR- SOUTH KOREA

KZ- KAZAKHSTAN

LK- SRI LANKA

LT- LITHUANIA

LV- LATVIA

MA- MOROCCO

MG- MADAGASCAR

MR- MAURITANIA

MU- MAURITIUS

MV- MALDIVES

MX- MEXICO

MY- MALAYSIA

MZ- MOZAMBIQUE

NA- NAMIBIA

NC- NEW CALEDONIA

NG- NIGERIA

NI- NICARAGUA

NZ- NEW ZEALAND

OM- OMAN

PA- PANAMA

PE- PERU

PG- PAPUA NEW GUINEA

PH- PHILIPPINES

PF- FRENCH POLYNESIA

PM- ST PIERRE and MIQUELON

PK- PAKISTAN

PL- POLAND

RU- RUSSIA

SC- SEYCHELLES

SG- SINGAPORE

SI- SLOVENIA

SK- SLOVAKIA

SN- SENEGAL

SR- SURINAME

TH- THAILAND

TN- TUNISIA

TR- TURKEY

TW- TAIWAN

TZ- TANZANIA

UG- UGANDA

UY- URUGUAY

VE- VENEZUELA

VN- VIETNAM

YE- YEMEN

YT- MAYOTTE

ZA- SOUTH AFRICA

II. Countries and territories meeting the terms of Article 2(2) of Decision 95/408/EC

AM- ARMENIA(1)

AO- ANGOLA

AG- ANTIGUA and BARBUDA(2)

AZ- AZERBAIJAN(3)

BJ- BENIN

BS- THE BAHAMAS

BY- BELARUS

CG- REPUBLIC OF CONGO(4)

CM- CAMEROON

CS- SERBIA and MONTENEGRO(5), (6)

CY- CYPRUS

DZ- ALGERIA

ER- ERITREA

FJ- FIJI

GD- GRENADA

HK- HONG KONG

HU- HUNGARY(7)

IL- ISRAEL

KE- KENYA

MM- MYANMAR

MT- MALTA

RO- ROMANIA

SB- SOLOMON ISLAND

SH- ST HELENA

SV- EL SALVADOR

TG- TOGO

US- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ZW- ZIMBABWE

(1) Authorised only for imports of live crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus) intended for direct human consumption.

(2) Authorised only for imports of fresh fish.

(3) Authorised only for imports of caviar.

(4) Authorised only for imports of fishery products caught, frozen and packed in their final packaging at sea.

(5) Not including Kosovo as defined by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999.

(6) Authorised only for imports of wild fish intended for direct human consumption.

(7) Authorised only for import of live animals intended for direct human consumption."