2003/129/EC: Commission Decision of 25 February 2003 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(2003) 600)
Date: 2003-02-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: citrus fruit, import, parasitology, plant health control, plant health legislation, third country

26.2.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 51/21

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 25 February 2003

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

(notified under document number C(2003) 600)

(2003/129/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 2000/29/EC of 8 May 2000
on protective measures against
the introduction into the
Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products
their spread within the Community (1), as last
and against
amended by Directive 2002/89/EC (2), and in particular point
16.2 of Part A of Annex IV thereto,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

Point 16.2 of Part A of Annex IV to Directive 2000/29/
EC lays down specific provisions as regards the import
fruits of Citrus L., Fortunella
into the Community of
Swingle, Poncirus Raf., and their hybrids, originating in
third countries where Xanthomonas campestris (all strains
pathogenic to Citrus) (hereinafter: Xanthomonas campes-
tris), is known to occur.

Commission Decision 98/83/EC of 8 January 1998
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) (3), as last amended by Decision
2001/440/EC (4), provides for certain areas of
third
countries to be recognised as being free of Xanthomonas
campestris.

Decision 98/83/EC recognises certain States of Argentina
as being free of Xanthomonas campestris. However, on the
basis of information submitted by Argentina, a number
of those States can no longer be recognised as being free
of that harmful organism.

(1) OJ L 169, 10.7.2000, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 355, 30.12.2002, p. 45.
(3) OJ L 15, 21.1.1998, p. 41.
(4) OJ L 155, 12.6.2001, p. 13.

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

On the basis of information submitted by the United
States of America,
it appears that new infestations of
Xanthomonas campestris have been detected in different
counties in Florida. Therefore, Florida should no longer
be recognised as being free of that harmful organism.

Specific arrangement should be made for citrus in transit
for which the official statement laid down by point 16.2
of Section I of Part A of Annex IV to Directive 2000/29/
EC has been issued before the date of notification of this
Decision to the competent authorities in Argentina and
the United States of America.

Decision 98/83/EC should therefore be
accordingly.

amended

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accor-
dance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on
Plant Health,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

In Decision 98/83/EC, Article 2 is amended as follows:

(a) the first indent is deleted;

(b) the fourth indent is replaced by the following:

‘— in the United States of America: Arizona, California,
Guam, Hawaii, Louisiana, Northern Mariana Islands,
Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Texas and the United
States Virgin Islands,’.

L 51/22

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

26.2.2003

Article 2

Article 3

This Decision shall not apply to citrus for which the official
statement laid down by point 16.2 of Section I of Part A of
Annex IV to Directive 2000/29/EC has been issued and which
were exported before the competent authorities of Argentina
and the United States of America were informed by the
Commission of this Decision. The Commission shall inform the
Member States of the date on which the competent authorities
of Argentina and the United States of America have been
informed of this Decision.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 25 February 2003.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission