1999/104/EC: Commission Decision of 26 January 1999 amending Decision 98/83/EC recognising certain third countries and certain areas of third countries as being free of Xanthomonas campestris (all strains pathogenic to Citrus), Cercospora angolensis Carv. et Mendes and Guignardia citricarpa Kiely (all strains pathogenic to Citrus) (notified under document number C(1999) 121)
Date: 1999-01-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: citrus fruit, import, parasitology, plant health control, plant health legislation, third country

6. 2. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 33/27

COMMISSION DECISION

of 26 January 1999

amending Decision 98/83/EC recognising certain third countries and certain
areas of third countries as being free of Xanthomonas campestris (all strains
pathogenic to Citrus), Cercospora angolensis Carv. et Mendes and Guignardia
citricarpa Kiely (all strains pathogenic to Citrus)

(notified under document number C(1999) 121)

(1999/104/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

in Florida as being free of Xanthomonas campestris (all
strains pathogenic to Citrus);

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 77/93/EEC of 21
December 1976 on protective measures against the intro-
duction into the Community of organisms harmful to
plants or plant products and against their spread within
the Community (1), as last amended by Commission
Directive 98/2/EC (2), and in particular Annex IV, Part A,
Section I, points 16.2, 16.3 and 16.3(a) thereof,

Whereas Annex IV, Part A, Section I, points 16.2, 16.3
and 16.3(a) contain a reference to fruits of Citrus L.,
Fortunella Swingle, Poncirus Raf., and their hybrids,
originating in third countries where Xanthomonas
campestris (all strains pathogenic to Citrus), Cercospora
angolensis Carv. et Mendes and Guignardia citricarpa
Kiely (all strains pathogenic to Citrus) are known to
occur;

campestris

Whereas under Commission Decision 98/83/EC (3),
certain third countries were recognised as being free of
Xanthomonas
strains pathogenic to
Citrus), Cercospora angolensis Carv. et Mendes and
Guignardia citricarpa Kiely (all strains pathogenic to
Citrus) and certain areas free of those harmful organisms
in the third countries where they are known to occur,
where determined;

(all

Whereas the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
of the United States Department of Agriculture informed
the Commission that a new infestation of Xanthomonas
campestris, strains pathogenic to Citrus was detected in
the Collier County, Florida; whereas therefore the Collier
County should be deleted from the list of areas recognised

(1) OJ L 26, 31. 1. 1977, p. 20.
(2) OJ L 15, 21. 1. 1998, p. 34.
(3) OJ L 15, 21. 1. 1998, p. 41.

Whereas, from recently available scientific literature it
became apparent that the organism Guignardia citri-
carpa Kiely,
strain pathogenic to Citrus has been
recorded in Citrus growing areas of Argentina and Brazil;
whereas therefore the said countries should be deleted
from the list of countries recognised in South America as
being free of Guignardia citricarpa Kiely (all strains
pathogenic to Citrus);

Whereas specific arrangement should be made for goods
in transit for which the official statement foreseen by
Annex IV, Part A, Section I, points 16.2, 16.3 and 16.3(a)
of Directive 77/93/EEC was issued in accordance with
Decision 98/83/EC;

Whereas the measure provided for in this Decision is in
accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee
on Plant Health,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Decision 98/83/EC is hereby amended as follows:

(1) In Article 2, fourth indent, the text ‘Florida (with the
exception of Dade County and Manatee County)', is
replaced by ‘Florida (with the exception of Collier
County, Dade County and Manatee County)'.

(2) In Article 4, first indent, the text ‘all citrus-growing
third countries in North, Central and South America,
the Caribbean and Europe', is replaced by ‘all citrus-
growing third countries in North, Central and South
America (with the exception of Argentina and Brazil),
the Caribbean and Europe'.

L 33/28

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

6. 2. 1999

Article 2

The present Decision does not apply to citrus fruits for which the official statement
foreseen by Annex IV, Part A, Section I, points 16.2, 16.3 and 16.3(a) of Directive
77/93/EEC was issued in accordance with Decision 98/83/EC and which were exported
before the competent authorities of the third countries of origin were informed of the
present Decision.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 3

Done at Brussels, 26 January 1999.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission