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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(77)244
Vol.1977/0088

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\
COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES
COM(77)244 final
Brussels .8June 1977
V
) r i-
PROPOSAL FOR A
!
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
onthecontrol ofPotato Ring Rot
(submitted totheCouncil "bytheCommission )
COM(77 )244final
\

Explanatory memorandum
During thediscussion oftheCouncil Directive 77/93/EEC of
21December 1976 onprotective measures against theintroduction
into theMember States ofharmful organisms ofplants orplant
products ithas become apparent that the measures taken against the
introduction ofthedisease "Potato Ring Rot"(Corynebacterium
sepedonicum (Spieck .etKott .)Skapt .etBurckh .)arenotsufficient .
Therefore ithas been decided toadopt minimum rules tocontrol ,at
national level ,against the introduction and thepropagation of
this disease within theCommunity .
This proposal for aCouncil Directive seeks toovercome this in­
sufficiency byfixing awhole series ofcontrols toidentify the
occurrence ofthis disease ,totake measures ifitispresent and
toprevent its spread .

Commission ProposalforaCouncilDirective onthecontrolofPotato
RingRot
TheCounciloftheEuropeanCommunities,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropeanEconomicCommunity,
andinparticularArticle43thereof.
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission,
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEuropeanParliament,
Whereaspotatoproduction occupiesanimportantplaceinCommunity
agriculture;
Whereasthepotatoyieldisconstantly threatened byharmfulorganisms;
Whereas,throughtheprotectionofpotatocultivation againstsuch
harmfulorganisms,notonlyshouldproductive capacitybemaintained but
alsoagricultural productivity increased;
Whereasprotective measurestopreventtheintroduction ofharmful
organismsintoindividual MemberStateswouldhaveonlyalimitedeffect
ifsuchorganisms werenotcontrolled simultaneously andmethodically
throughout theCommunity andwerenotpreventedfromspreading;
Whereasoneoftheorganisms mostharmfultopotatoesisCorynebacterium
sepedonicum (SpiecketKott.)SkaptetBurkh.,thepathogenic agentof
thebacterial"PotatoRingRot"disease;
WhereasthisdiseasehasoccurredinatleastoneMemberStateandsome
limitedsourcesofinfectionexistwithintheCommunity;
Whereasthereisapermanentrisktopotatocultivation throughout the
Communityifeffective measuresarenottakentopreventthisdisease
fromoccurringorspreading,tolocateitandtocontrolitwiththeaim
oferadicatingit;
Whereasinordertoensurethis,minimumprovisions mustbeadoptedfor
theCommunity;whereasMemberStatesmustbeabletoadoptadditional
orstrictermeasureswherenecessary;
Whereastheminimumprovisions havetotakeintoaccountthatthedisease
canremainlatentandunobserved inthegrowingcropandinstoredtubers
andsocanbeeffectively preventedonlybyproduction anduseofseed
potatoesfreefrominfection,thatthediseaseisspreadmainlybycontact

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ofpotatoeswithplanting,harvesting andhandlingmachineryortools,
transport andstoragecontainersthathavebeencontaminated withthe
diseasebypreviouscontactwithinfectedseedpotatoesorpotatoesfor
consumption,thatsuchcontaminated machinery,transportandstorage
containers canremaininfectiousforuptosixmonthsaftersuchcon­
tamination,thatspreadcanbereducedorprevented bydisinfection of
suchequipment andcontainers,thatthereislittleifanyspreadofthe
diseasewithinthegrowingcrop,thatthediseasecanonlyexistinsoil
throughthewinterinself-sown (volunteer)potatoplants;
Whereasforthedetermination ofthedetailsofsuchminimumprovisions
aswellasforthoseothermeasurestakenbyMemberStatestopreventthe
introduction ofthediseaseintotheirterritoriesitisdesirablefor
MemberStatestocooperatecloselywiththeCommissionwithinthe
StandingCommitteeonPlantHealthsetupbyDecision76/894/EEC(1),
y
HASADOPTEDTHISDIRECTIVE :
Article 1
ThisDirective concernstheminimummeasurestobetakenwithinthe
MemberStatesagainstPotatoRingRot/Corynebacterium sepedonicum
(SpiecketKott)Skapt.etBurkh./,inorder
-topreventitfromoccurringorspreading,
-tolocateit,and
-tocontrolitwiththeaimoferadicatingit.
Article 2
1.MemberStatesshallconductofficialperiodicsurveysforPotatoRing
Rotbyofficialvisualinspectionoftubersofpotato(Solanum
tuberosumL.),whichareharvested,storedormarketedthere.
2.MemberStatesshallprescribethateverysuspectedoccurrenceof
PotatoRingRotingrowing,harvested,storedormarketedpotatoes
shallbereportedtotheirofficialplantprotectionorganization
whichshallexaminebyvisualinspection whetherthesuspected
occurrence isconfirmed .
3.WheresymptomsofPotatoRingRotarefoundinthevisualinspections
providedforinparagraphs 1or2,anofficialtestingaccordingto
appropriate methodsshallbemadefcrthepresenceofthisdisease
inpotatocropsortubers.
(1)O.J.N°L340,9/12/1976,p.25 ./.

Thefielc,store,consignment orLotshallbeconsidered tobecon­
taminatedifsuchtestingconfirmsthediseaseinasingleplantor
tubertherein.
MemberStatesshallinformtheotherMemberStatesandtheCommission
oftheresultsofthesurveysprovidedforinparagraph 1andofany
confirmedcontamination .Thedetailsofthisinformation shallbekept
confidential .ItmaybesubmittedtotheCommitteereferredtoin
Article16ofCouncilDirective 77/93/EEC.
Thefollowing maybelaiddowninaccordance withtheprocedure
providedforinArticle16ofCouncilDirective77/93/EEC,
-theconditionsofthesurveysprovidedforinparagraph 1,
-theappropriate methodsfortheofficialtestingprovidedforin
paragraph 3,
-theformsoftheinformation providedforinparagraph 5.
Article3
MemberStatesshallprescribethatseedpotatoesshallderivein
directlinefromplantswhichhavebeenfoundfreeofPotatoRingRot
intestingcarriedoutonrepresentative sampleseitherofficially or
underofficialcontrolaccordingtoanappropriate method.Notwith­
standingtheprovisionslaiddownforthemarketingofseedpotatoes,
precautions shallbetakentoensurethatseedpotatoesderivedfrom
thoseplantsremainfreeofthedisease.
Thefollowing maybelaiddowninaccordance withtheprocedure
providedforinArticle16ofCouncilDirective 77/93/EEC,
-themaximumnumberofpropagations priortobasicseedpotatoes,
whichderivefromplantssubjecttotestingprovidedforin
paragraph 1,
-therepresentative samplesonwhichthattestingshallbecarried
out,
-theappropriate methodsforthattesting,
-theprecautions providedforinparagraph 1.

-L-
Article4
1.MemberStatesshallprescribethatwhenafield,store,consignment or
lotshallbeconsideredtobecontaminated ,anyseedpotatocropwhich
isclonallyrelatedtothecropinvolvedinthecontaminated unitor
whichmayhavebeencontaminated throughdirectcontactorthrough
contactwithpossiblycontaminated objectsshallbeexaminedand
testedaccordingtotheprovisionslaiddowninArticle2paragraphs 2
and3,inboththecurrentandthesubsequent year.
2.Thisprovisionalsoappliestoanyseedpotatocroponthepremisesin
whichthepotatoesfromthecontaminated field,store,consignment or
lotweregrownorinwhichthesepotatoesarefoundorinwhichthey
areknowntohavebeenpresentduringtheprevioussixmonths.
Article 5
1.MemberStatesshallprescribethatpotatoesfromafield,store,
consignment orlotwhichshallbeconsideredtobecontaminated shall
notbeusedforpropagation andshall,underthecontroloftheir
officialplantprotectionorganization ,betreated,handledand
utilizedordisposedofinsuchawayastopreventspreadofthe
disease.
2.MemberStates .shallprescribethatinafieldwhichshallbecon­
sideredtobecontaminated nopotatoesshallbegrowninthetwoyears
followingtheoccurrence norforaslongasvolunteerpotatoplantsare
presentinthefield.
3.MemberStatesshallprescribethatonthepremiseswhosefield,store,
consignment orlotshallbeconsideredtobecontaminated
-anypacking-material otherthancontainers intendedforpotato
tubersorplantsshallbedestroyed,
-anycontainer andanyotherobjectwhichmayhavebeenincontact
withpotatotubersorplantsfromthefield,store,consignment or
lotconcernedshal1.becleanedanddisinfected beforeanycontact
withotherpotatotubersorplants,
-noseedpotatoesshallbegrov;.-!intheyearfollowingtheoccurrence .

-5-
-inthe/earfollowingtheoccurrence nopotatoesshallbeplanted
otherthanseedpotatoeswhichhavebeenproducedinanother
premisesandofficiallycertified.
4.Thefirstandsecondindentofparagraph 3shallapplyalsoto
premisesinwhichpotatoesfromthefield,store,consignment orlot
concernedarefoundorinwhichtheyareknowntohavebeenpresent
duringtheprevioussixmonths.
5.MemberStatesshallprescribethattheirofficialplantprotection
organization shalldemarcateforfiveyearsaftertheoccurrence a
zonearoundthepremisesmentionedinparagraph 3coveringthearea
withinwhichaspreadofPotatoRingRotislikely,duetothe
productionorganization andconditionswithinthatarea.
MemberStatesshallprohibitthecuttingofseedpotatoesanduseof
prickertype plantingmachineswithinthezone.
Theyshallprohibittheremovalofpotatotubersorplantsgrownin
premisesmentionedinparagraph 3fromthezoneunlesstheyhavebeen
foundfreeofPotatoRingRotinanexamination andtestscarriedout
inaccordancewiththeprovisionslaiddowninArticle2paragraphs 2
and3.
MemberStatesshalltakeallothermeasureswhicharenecessaryto
controlPotatoRingRotwiththeaimoferadicatingitwithinthezone
andtopreventitsspreadoutofthiszone.
6.Thefollowing maybelaiddowninaccordance withtheprocedure
providedforinArticle16ofCouncilDirective 77/93/EEC
-thedetailsforthedemarcation ofthezoneprovidedforin
paragraph 5,
-the"othermeasures"mentionedinparagraph 5.

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Article6
MemberStatesshallprohibittheholdingofPotatoRingRotcultures.
Article7
MemberStatesmayauthorizederogations fromthemeasuresreferredtoin
Articles3,4,5and6forscientific purposesandworkonselection,
providedthatsuchderogations donotprejudicethecontrolofPotato
RingRotandcreatenoriskofspreadofthisdisease.Accordingtothe
procedurelaiddowninArticle16ofCouncilDirective77/93/EEC,Member
Statesmaybeauthorizedtoprovideforderogations alsoforcasesother
thanscientific purposesorworkonselection.
Article8
MemberStatesmayadoptsuchadditional orstrictermeasuresasmaybe
requiredtocontrolPotatoRingRotortopreventitfromspreading.
Article9
1.WhereaMemberStateconsidersthereisanimminentdangerofthe
introduction initsterritoryofPotatoRingRotfromanotherMember
State,itmaytemporarily takeanyadditional measuresnecessaryto
protectitselffromthatdanger.Itshallimmediately informthe
otherMemberStatesandtheCommission ofthemeasurestakenand
indicatethereasonsforthem.
2.UndertheprocedurelaiddowninArticle17ofCouncilDirective
77/93/EEC,itshallbedecidedwhetherthemeasurestakenbythe
MemberStateunderparagraph 2shouldberescindedoramended.Until
adecisionhasbeentakeneitherbytheCouncilorbytheCommission
undertheaforesaidprocedure,theMemberStatemaymaintainthe
measuresthatithasemployed.
Article10
MemberStatesshallbringintoforcethemeasuresnecessarytocomply
withthisDirective on23December 1978atlatestandshallforthwith
informtheCommission thereof.

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i
Article11
ThisDirectiveisaddressedtotheMemberStates.