Commission Regulation (EC) No 2103/2002 of 28 November 2002 approving operations to check conformity to the marketing standards applicable to fresh fruit and vegetables carried out in South Africa prior to import into the European Community
Date: 2002-11-28
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: South Africa, fresh fruit, fresh vegetable, import, marketing standard, quality label

29.11.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 324/11

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2103/2002

of 28 November 2002

approving operations to check conformity to the marketing standards applicable to fresh fruit and
vegetables carried out in South Africa prior to import into the European Community

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 vegetables (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No
545/2002 (2), and in particular Article 10 thereof,

(5)

(6)

The conformity checks performed by South Africa
should therefore be approved with effect from the date
on which the administrative cooperation referred to in
Article 7(8) of Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001 is estab-
lished.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of
the Management
Committee for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Article 7 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001
of 12 June 2001 on checks on conformity to the
marketing standards applicable to fresh fruit and vegeta-
bles (3), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2590/
2001 (4),
lays down the requirements for approval of
conformity checks performed prior to import into the
Community by third countries which so request.

On 11 March 2002 the South African authorities sent
the Commission a request
for approval of checking
operations performed by the Perishable Products Export
Control Board (PPECB) under the responsibility of the
Ministry of Agriculture. This states that the establish-
ment in question has the necessary staff, equipment and
facilities to carry out checks, that it uses methods equiva-
lent to those referred to in Article 9 of Regulation (EC)
No 1148/2001 and that the fresh fruit and vegetables
exported from South Africa to the Community must
meet standards equivalent to the Community marketing
standards.

The information sent by the Member States and in the
possession of
the Commission shows that, between
1997 and 2002, imports of fresh fruit and vegetables
from South Africa presented a relatively low incidence
of non-conformity with the marketing standards.

Representatives of the South African inspection services
are regular participants in international efforts to agree
marketing standards for fruit and vegetables in the
Working Party on Standardisation of Perishable Produce
and Quality Development of
the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE). South
Africa is also taking part in the Scheme for the Applica-
tion of International Standards for Fruit and Vegetables
under the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD). Lastly, for a number of years the
South African inspection services have taken part
in
various conferences and training activities organised by
several Member States.

(1) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 84, 28.3.2002, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 156, 13.6.2001, p. 9.
(4) OJ L 345, 29.12.2001, p. 20.

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The checks on conformity to the marketing standards for fresh
fruit and vegetables carried out by South Africa prior to impor-
tation into the Community shall be approved in accordance
with the terms set out in Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1148/
2001.

Article 2

Details of the official correspondent and inspection bodies in
South Africa referred to in the second subparagraph of Article
7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001 are given in Annex I to
this Regulation.

Article 3

The certificates referred to in the second subparagraph of
Article 7(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001, issued following
the checks referred to in Article 1 of this Regulation, must be
drawn up on forms in conformity with the model given in
Annex II hereto.

Article 4

This Regulation shall enter
into force on the 20th day
following its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Communities.

It shall apply from the date of publication in the C series of the
Official Journal of the European Communities of the notice referred
to in Article 7(8) of Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001 relating to
the establishment of administrative cooperation between the
European Community and South Africa.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

29.11.2002

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 28 November 2002.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

Official correspondent within the meaning of Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001:

ANNEX I

National Department of Agriculture
DPHQ
Private Bag X258
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Tel.: (27-12) 3196502
Fax: (27-12) 3265606
Email: smph@nda.agric.za

Inspection body within the meaning of Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1148/2001:

PPECB (Perishable Products Export Control Board)
PO Box 15289
7500 Panorama, Parow
South Africa
Tel.: (27-21) 9301134
Fax: (27-21) 9306046
Email: ho@ppecb.com

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ANNEX II